Journey of the Heart
by CharmedReality
Summary: When Kagome and Kouga find themselves transported far away from everything familiar, will they discover something in each other on the journey home? Kagome x Kouga
1. Vanished

Journey of the Heart: Chapter 1 - Vanished

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and his companions are not mine to own.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: (2-20-05) I reposted this first chapter to fix some minor grammatical errors. Sorry to anyone who got excited thinking there was a new chapter, but I should have an update soon!

**-ooo-ooo-ooo-**

The group had been walking for the greater part of the morning without a break. Kagome was once again repositioning her heavy backpack. Her shoulder and back muscles were aching from its constant weight.

She looked sadly at the crimson-clad man walking ahead of her. 'All the strength of a hanyou, and he hasn't once offered to carry this for me.' She switched the bag to her left arm in hopes of providing some momentary relief to her right. 'It wouldn't even be this heavy if I didn't always pack so much of the ramen he loves.'

She released an audible sigh that did not go unnoticed by the hanyou's sharp hearing.

"What's your problem, Kagome?" he asked roughly.

"Huh?" Kagome responded, too surprised to be angry.

"You have been fidgeting and sighing all morning." He stopped and turned to face the girl whose cheeks were turning a shade of red just lighter than his haori.

"Oh dear," Miroku and Sango said in unison as they left the trail to take comfortable positions in the grass. They were used to their travel companions' fights, and this would probably be their only break today, so they knew they should use it to its fullest.

"There they go again," Shippo said, bouncing off to the bag Kagome had dropped to scour for candy.

"How dare you, Inuyasha? We don't all have super strength. I'm doing the best I can on my own since _you_ don't seem interested in helping anyone but yourself!" Kagome shouted.

"I wish I didn't have to help anyone else, but NOOOOO, it's always," he adopted a whiney feminine voice meant to imitate Kagome's, "'Oh Inuyasha, let's help these poor villagers' or 'Oh Inuyasha, lets go slay that youkai that doesn't have a shard just because it is the right thing to do.'

"How are we ever supposed to finish the jewel with you constantly having us protect everyone we run across!" he finished angrily.

"Well, excuse me for caring about people," she yelled back with all the sarcasm she could muster.

"You can be such an ice priestess sometimes!" he shot back unwisely.

"SIT!"

Inuyasha was violently pulled to the ground by the power of the subduing spell. Kagome bit her bottom lip, and tried not to let her emotions overwhelm her as her mind repeated his last words-'ice priestess?'

She felt a chill run over her body. 'Was he really talking about me just then, or was he thinking of Kikyo again? Even when we are fighting I can't tell who is really on his mind.'

She chanced a glance over to her other friends to see if they had noticed anything unusual at his words, but they seemed content to prepare food. They had learned long ago to make the best out of Kagome and Inuyasha's routine fights.

When she looked back to where the flattened hanyou had been she saw he was now on his feet, and looking a little…regretful? However, he was still far from being apologetic.

"Since you obviously can't handle carrying your own stuff, I'll do it just to keep us moving along," he was projecting anger in his voice so his offer wouldn't seem like a concession.

Kagome's disposition brightened slightly at his words. She knew this was just his twisted way of offering kindness. However, when Inuyasha saw her features relax, he threw in, "I will be glad when this mission is over." He then walked over to Shippo, grabbing the freshly boiled ramen from his tiny hand.

Kagome stood still. She did not want to rejoin the group until she was sure she could do so without crying. She breathed deeply to calm herself and was oblivious to the fight that had broken out between Inuyasha and Shippo over the ramen.

Their fight was still troubling her thoughts. 'Why do we have to go through this so often? I know he cares for me, so why can't he show me instead of pushing me away all the time?

'Does he not see that it hurts me, or does he really just not care? How much longer can I hang onto the hope that someday things are going to be different between us? How much longer should I?' She sighed bitterly, 'There are always more questions between us than answers.'

Slowly, she rallied herself in an effort to join her friends when a familiar sensation ran through her body. It was like a warm glow that started in the center of her chest and spread throughout her body, making her skin tingle. It was much like the feeling one would get when blood circulates again after your arm has gone numb; except this wasn't painful.

"Shards!" she proclaimed loudly enough to get her teammates' attention. "Two of them, coming fast." Realization as to whom was carrying the shards dawned on Kagome just before she felt her hand being embraced by two enthusiastic youkai hands.

"Kagome, I sensed you were near. Have you been well, my woman?"

Before Kagome had the opportunity to form a response to the tall dark haired man before her, she was abruptly pulled away by an angry hanyou. Only this time, his anger was directed at the wolf youkai, and not her.

"DON'T TOUCH KAGOME!" he yelled ferociously.

"Inuyasha, it…" Kagome attempted to stop him, but was cut off as Inuyasha began posturing for Kouga.

"She doesn't want you here any more than I do, Wimpy Wolf!"

"Maybe you should let her decide that, Mutt!"

"Well, I…" Kagome tried again, but was still ignored by the two men as they continued bickering. 'If they are fighting over me, shouldn't at least one of them care what I have to say?' she thought with indignation.

She backed away, and watched the production unfold. It was all, "wimpy wolf this and dog breath that," and Kagome had suffered through quite enough of it. Both men had proven they could be sweet when they wanted to be, but most of the time this was what she had to deal with, and enough was enough.

"STOP IT!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Both men turned to face her. "Kagome, my love, is something wrong?" Kouga asked with genuine sincerity.

"Don't call her that, Wolf!"

"Mind your own business, Mutt Brains!"

"STOP! This _is_ what's wrong! Neither of you care about me! You just want an excuse to act macho and show off in front of others. Well, I don't care anymore, but stop using me as an excuse. I'm out of it!" She threw her hands in the air at her final words and stomped away from the shocked men.

'Neither of you care about me?' the words echoed painfully in Inuyasha's head as he watched her angrily walk away. 'How can she think that? I act like a fool over her most of the time, because I can't stop myself from caring about her.'

Kouga mirrored Inuyasha's hurt expression. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so low and worthless. He debated following her, but then he noticed Inuyasha was already tracking the girl.

Kouga wanted to speed over to her first but stopped himself as he realized it would only lead to more fighting in front of her, and that was the last thing anyone needed right now. He hung his head sadly, and decided to leave for the time being to give her some space.

**-ooo-ooo-ooo-**

Kagome retreated deep into the forest, hoping Inuyasha would stop following her eventually. Her heavy heart was weighing her down, and she could go no further. She sank to her knees in the thick green grass, and buried her head in her hands. Tears streamed down her pale face as she attempted to stifle the sniffling noises that accompanied them.

She didn't want Inuyasha to know she was crying. Considering the events of the past hour, he would certainly just see this as a weakness, and she was tired of appearing weak to him.

But her attempts were in vain, and soon she felt a strong hand cupping the top of her shoulder near her neck. She shuddered at its presence at first but then calmed as it remained there.

She wanted more than anything to melt into him-to let all her worries and concerns about their relationship just fade away. It would be so easy. She could just close her eyes, and believe the lie her mind wanted so badly to believe.

He would be with her forever, and cherish her more than anything-more than the dead priestess, more than the shards, more than his own strength. But she knew she couldn't go through life with her eyes closed.

"I'm tired Inuyasha," she said through the sobs.

"We can take a break, and then I'll carry you," he replied softly.

"No, that's not what I mean. I'm tired of everything. This isn't the first time we've had this fight. I can't keep going through this." Her voice was filled with sorrow, but her words were determined.

"Ka…gome?" Inuyasha struggled to finish her name as he carefully watched her with dread in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," she removed his hand and stood up, "but this is the way it has to be. Something has to change, and I guess it is going to be me."

Inuyasha's chest constricted painfully as he watched her walk away. He had always feared she would one day realize she was too good for him. He feared it so vehemently that he had actually caused it. In order to soften the blow to his ego he had pushed her away. And the reality of her rejection was a hardship more terrible than anything Sesshoumaru, Naraku, or a thousand youkai would have been able to throw at him.

Still, as he watched her figure grow smaller in the distance he pulled himself from the forest floor and followed her. No matter what else happened, he would not allow harm to come to the one he loved.

**-ooo-ooo-ooo-**

"They have been gone a long time," Shippo said nervously between bites of pilfered chocolate.

"I wonder what happened this time," Sango pondered aloud.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. It had been almost a full day; they were due for another altercation," Miroku responded reassuringly. And then to further distract Sango's troubled thoughts, he brazenly extended his un-cursed hand behind her.

He received a blow to the back of his head for his concern-or at least for the way he had chosen to show his concern.

"Here comes Kagome!" Shippo shouted while jumping up and down. "Kagome! Are you all right? Did that jerk, Inuyasha, say something stupid?" She reached down to the small fox child and picked him up. "Want me to bite him for you?" he asked hopefully.

Kagome couldn't help but smile at his protective nature. "No, Shippo. I'm okay. I think I need to return home for a little while though." Her smile was short-lived, and the perceptive youth quickly noticed the sparkle had gone out of her eyes.

Shippo's eyes grew wide in fright. "You aren't going to leave us forever are you, Kagome!"

She placed a reassuring hand on his small head. "No, Shippo. I promise I won't leave you. Okay?"

His misty eyes looked up at her, hoping she was telling the truth. He had tried to be strong after the death of his father, but the truth was he didn't know if he could bear losing Kagome too. She was the stability in his chaotic life.

He leaned into her, and tiny arms wrapped around her as best they could for a hug. Kagome returned his affections and blinked back the tears that had been threatening to escape since she left Inuyasha in the forest.

Kagome was sure Inuyasha had not been all that far behind her, and she didn't want to speak to him again so soon. "Sango, may I take Kirara to the well?"

"Of course, Kagome. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Concern was evident in the demon slayer's features.

"No. Thank you. I'll see you all in about a week." She saw her response had done little to alleviate her friend's worry so she attempted a smile, but it was clearly forced. "I promise I will be just fine."

Kagome walked toward the fire cat, who would fly her to the well, when a burst of light flooded the area, stinging her eyes.

It was immediately followed by a flash of heat and concussive force. She found herself skidding along the ground. Rocks and twigs were biting at her uncovered legs. The wind had been knocked out of her, and it took a moment before she could push herself back up. 'Note to self: pack jeans in the future.'

By this time, Inuyasha had joined the fray, and was staring down an odd looking female youkai. She had a beautiful face with flowing purple hair and coal black eyes, but her body was that of a giant spider.

Kagome looked around to see how her other friends had faired against the assault. Miroku was sprawled out on the ground with Sango leaning over him. Shippo was hiding behind her backpack near them. 'Miroku must have gotten hit by a blast. I hope he is all right! Sango looks concerned but not panicked which is a good sign.'

"I can smell Naraku on you! You are one of his detachments!" Inuyasha shouted, lifting the activated Tetsusaiga above his head. He brought it down with crushing force, unleashing the Kaza no Kizu.

The spider moved with uncanny ability for something so large. "Perceptive for a hanyou. I am the detachment that will prevent you from finding the final shards." The spider's mouth opened wide, and a blinding ball of light appeared. She shot it toward Inuyasha, but he was able to slice it with the Tetsusaiga.

"You'll have to do a lot better than that!" Inuyasha mocked.

"Very well." The half-spider began to emit some type of pulse. It vibrated the very earth upon which they stood and was tangible in the air. It seemed to create an exaggerated sense of vertigo which made everyone too disoriented to attack. As the group struggled to regain their bearings against the onslaught, a vortex opened just behind Kagome.

"NO!" She desperately sought to grab on to something that would keep her grounded, but the vortex was spinning madly and drawing her in.

Inuyasha was still overcome by the effects of the vertigo, but he fought to make it to her side. "Kagome, hang on, I'm coming!" He felt nauseated, and his muscles burned within his legs, but he was not going to let her down-not this time!

"Inuyasha!" she screamed while sliding ever closer to the portal.

"I'll save you Kagome!" This time the voice came not from Inuyasha or her other friends but from Kouga. His powerful feet pounded at the earth, speeding him to his destination. He made it to her side before she was engulfed, but when he grabbed her, instead of being able to pull her out, he disappeared into the swirling light along with her.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Inuyasha bellowed as he reached the spot they had vanished, moments too late. The vortex, Kouga, and Kagome were all gone.

**-ooo-ooo-ooo-**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi, I hope you liked this first chapter. This will be a Kouga/Kagome pairing. I have nothing against Inuyasha, but I always feel so bad for Kouga in the show that I think he should be able to get the girl in my world at least.

If you like this fic, check out _Crossing the Line_. It is my Rurouni Kenshin story with a Sano/Kaoru pairing.

Please review!


	2. Lost

Journey of the Heart: Chapter 2 - Lost

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and his companions are not mine to own.

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Kagome felt nothing--literally. None of her senses seemed to be working except sight, but even that meant little. Colors and swirling forms danced around her as she slipped further into something--or nothing. She wasn't sure. She couldn't even tell if she was moving, or if the world was moving around her.

She tried to extend her arms in hopes of slowing herself, but her body refused to respond. If her ears could have detected sound, or her flesh experienced touch she would have heard and felt her heart beating with wild abandon.

Kagome had become accustomed, if not comfortable, with traveling through the well. And while her current situation fell in the same general category, it was still drastically different. She had never felt this out of control before--not even when being drug into the well the first time by Mistress Centipede.

At least that time it was not long before she had Inuyasha at her side. It was true their relationship wasn't what you would have called smooth at first, nor had it ever really become so, but his presence always made her feel safe. Without him now, she felt particularly alone.

'I wanted time away from him after our talk, but now I just wish I could see him again.' With nothing left to do but think, her mind presented her with devastating thoughts. 'But what if he doesn't want to see me again? Maybe that is the reason he didn't get to me in time.'

As dark thoughts threatened to consume her, something drew her attention to her lower body.

Encircling her waist was an arm--partially covered in fur. For a moment, she thought she was being attacked by a youkai without even being able to feel it. If she could have parted her lips to scream, she would have, but then she recognized the arm. It belonged to the wolf prince, Kouga.

She was surprised by just how comforting that knowledge was. In a normal situation their close proximity would make her blush, but instead, a wave of relief washed over her.

With her negativity pushed to the background she began to analyze their situation. She wasn't sure how much time had passed since they had been pulled into the vortex. Time seemed to have as little meaning as sensation.

'Is this leading somewhere, or will we need to find our way out from inside the vortex itself? It doesn't feel like traveling through the well, so maybe it goes to a different place instead of a different time. That makes sense--but where?

'Am I imagining this, or are the colors becoming muted? Oh no! Maybe my vision is going to stop working too!' Kagome tried to calm herself, and as the racing heart she couldn't feel slowed, she noticed the unidentifiable forms were starting to become more recognizable, and the colors more realistic.

Then in a flood of sensory input, she felt wet grass brush against her knees, and a cool breeze blowing across her face. She could smell the sweet natural scent of the forest, and the spicier musky scent of the man pressed against her back. She could feel the warmth of his chest, and the comforting pressure of his arms wrapped around her.

She became dizzy from the sudden onset of sensation, and Kouga was no better off. He had never experienced passing through the well before, so nothing could have prepared him for the journey they had just taken. When his heightened senses returned to him so suddenly, it felt like his head would explode.

He reflexively tightened his grip on Kagome to ground himself, and she gasped at the unexpected constriction.

"K-Kouga?" a nervous Kagome stammered.

"Kagome, my love, I'm sorry." He relaxed his arms, but did not remove them. "Did I hurt you?" Concern was evident in his voice.

"No, I was just off guard," she said timidly, very aware of their closeness. Kagome took his large hands in her small ones. Kouga's heart raced momentarily, but then sank as he felt her removing herself from his grasp.

'All that time spent so close to her, and yet unable to feel any of it. It hardly seems like a fair reward for playing the part of a hero,' he mused. 'Although a better hero would probably have saved the girl, not been pulled in with her.'

He watched as she rose to her feet, and scanned their new surroundings.

"So, where are we?" he asked with false hope, already knowing neither of them had an answer.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"WHERE IS SHE!?" Inuyasha roared at the spider youkai, while blasting her with his Kaza no Kizu.

Deflecting the onslaught, the spider snidely retorted, "If you kill me, you will destroy any hope you have of reclaiming her!"

"There are worse things than death!" Inuyasha yelled as he propelled himself at the spider with awesome force. His blade savagely cut at her legs.

From the sidelines, Sango helped a weakened Miroku to his feet. "I think Inuyasha is going through something worse than death now," he said almost to himself.

Once he was standing, he shifted his weight to his staff to relieve Sango. He could tell she was suffering enough without him being an additional burden--not that you could tell from her reserved countenance.

"Kaaaaaaaaagoooome!" Shippo wailed between choked out tears. His head was pressed against her backpack. His tiny hands were balled into fists, which he used to pound its contents.

Sango scooped the small boy into her arms, and held him reassuringly as Kagome would have done if she had been there. The demon-fighter watched Inuyasha savagely take his pain out on the youkai. Years of battle experience and loss had hardened her exterior, but inside she felt lost without her best friend. Kagome had become like a sister, and Sango was crushed at the thought of losing even more family.

Biting the inside of her bottom lip, she steeled herself against the emotions she felt welling up. There was a battle being waged, and this was no time for weakness. She needed to be watching for an opening to assist Inuyasha. Besides, it was too soon to give up on Kagome.

She felt Miroku's hand resting on her back, and she was grateful for the comfort it provided. She was equally grateful that it remained on her upper back.

The battle between hanyou and youkai raged on. Blood was being spilled at an alarming rate, and one of the spider's legs was lying only a few meters away.

Miroku continued to watch the horrifying display as he mentally debated over a plan of action. 'The spider said we would be unable to rescue Kagome, if we killed her. It may have been a bluff, but we can hardly afford to take chances with Kagome's life.'

"Inuyasha, you must stop!" Miroku called out.

There was another furious swing of Tetsusaiga at the spider's abdomen--he was not listening.

'We must do something to get his attention.' He turned to Sango, "Can you throw Hiraikotsu to separate them without hitting either?"

"Hai!" She was happy to put her mind into the fight, and launched the giant boomerang toward the combatants--successfully causing Inuyasha to fall back.

Enraged eyes fixed themselves on Sango and Miroku. "What the HELL do you think you're doing?" he snarled. For a moment, Miroku thought they would need to defend themselves from their increasingly red-eyed friend.

"Inuyasha, she may be our only hope of getting Kagome back. You must not kill her." Miroku's voice and disposition remained miraculously calm as a very intense hanyou stared him down.

"That thing took Kagome away." Inuyasha's voice was rough, but Miroku could hear it crack as he spoke. 'After I pushed her away,' Inuyasha's thoughts added, increasing the guilt he already felt.

The group continued to argue, ignoring the youkai they were debating so hotly. Having three of her legs clawed from her body impaired her ability to remain standing so she was now lying in an increasingly large puddle of her own blood.

Nonetheless, Shippo stood sentry over the fallen spider. The beautiful female face looked anguished as she attempted to flee by haltingly dragging her large arachnid body with the remaining legs.

Before the issue could be debated further, or more precisely, before Inuyasha could go back to hacking away at the remaining legs, a blustery wind swept up around them.

"Kagura!" Sango shouted, raising her hiraikotsu. She attacked the wind witch, but before the weapon made contact--Kagura unleashed her dance of the blades--sending the hiraikotsu violently back to its master.

Miroku pulled her out of the way before it hit, but fell into Inuyasha in the process. The pile of unlikely warriors struggled to right themselves, in a scene that would have been comical if the situation had not been so dire.

Kagura used the power of a jewel shard to return the injured youkai to the size of a common spider. She then secured the now tiny spider, and departed atop her oversized feather.

"Terribly sorry, but I'll have to postpone this fight. We have places to be. Ta," Kagura taunted haughtily.

"NO! KAGURA!" Inuyasha shoved past Miroku and Sango, and ran at break-neck speed in the direction Kagura had gone.

"Wait Inuyasha!" Sango called, but it was no use.

"He is as single-minded as ever, and at the pace he is going we needed to follow quickly if we hoped to catch up," Miroku assessed.

Moments later, the three remaining members of the group were astride Kirara, trusting her youkai senses to lead them to Inuyasha, and hopefully, Kagome.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"I was kind of hoping you would know where we were." Kagome replied to his question, wishing she had the answer.

"It looks familiar, but I'm sure I've never been here before. I can't sense any wolves or wolf youkai nearby." Kouga strained his senses attempting to smell, see, or hear anything that might give him a clue to where they were.

They seemed to be in a nondescript forest clearing. They stood in a wide expanse of tall soft grass. In the distance to the north was a single mountain spiraling upwards, and surrounding them was a thicket of trees. It was all clearly recognizable, and totally foreign at the same time.

Except for the surprising lack of animals, youkai and people--nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

'Great, first I can't save her from a little vortex, and now I can't even tell her where we are, or which direction home is!' Kouga thought in exasperation as his efforts came out empty. 'No wonder she seemed so fed up in our previous encounter.

'Perhaps if I scout around I'll come across something that will tell me more. But I can't leave Kagome undefended. She will have to come with me.' Without a word, he scooped the time-displaced miko into his arms bridal style, and took off.

"Kouga!" she shouted with equal parts shock and hostility.

He tilted his head down toward the girl, but he retained his pace, seemingly oblivious to her anger. "Yes, my love?"

Through tightly clenched teeth, Kagome growled out, "PUT…ME…DOWN…NOW!" putting additional emphasis on each successive word.

Too surprised to argue, Kouga stopped his shard-powered sprint, and quickly, but gently, allowed her to stand. "Is something wrong?" he asked with obvious concern and confusion. "Are you injured?"

His eyes darted around her exposed limbs, seeing only minor scarps and bruises from the previous battle.

Kagome released an aggravated sigh. "I'm not hurt Kouga, but I can walk on my own." She was still a little irritated, but his bright blue eyes showed only the best of intentions in his actions, and she couldn't stay mad for long.

"I know you can. You are an extremely strong woman--that is why I have chosen you as my mate," he replied honestly.

A strange feeling passed over her at his words. She was incredibly touched at such a compliment coming from someone who valued strength so highly.

"However, your speed is not of the same caliber, and I thought it best to get the lay of the land before I decided what our next course of action would be," he finished unwisely.

"Before _you _decide?" Her eyes narrowed, waiting for an explanation from the flustered wolf prince.

"That is my duty as your protector, my love." Kouga could not explain why her mood kept changing, but he had seen enough male wolf youkai sleeping outside their dens to know he should be careful with an angry female.

"STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!" She shouted at the top of her lungs at a wide-eyed Kouga.

"Stop what, my love?" he ventured to inquire.

"THAT! Everything is 'my love this and my woman that' with you! You are always taking my hand, or picking me up, or touching me! And now you are making decisions for me too? You never ask what I want!

"I barely even know you," she continued hotly. "The first time we met you kidnapped me, and since then the only thing you do is fight with Inuyasha! I can't tell which of us you are more obsessed with sometimes!"

"I am not obsessed with Dog boy!" he shot back.

"Dog boy? How old are you? I thought you were a prince. Shouldn't you be challenging him to a civilized duel at least? Slapping his face with your glove, and walking so many paces away before facing each other after high tea?" Kagome realized she was sounding increasingly irrational, but after a day with so many emotional upheavals she wasn't about to back down.

Kouga drew breath to speak, but found himself quite dumbfounded at Kagome's last question. "Glove?" he finally managed.

"Oh, never mind, I never did like those movies anyway." She plopped herself on the ground, pulling her knees to her chest, and lying her face against them. He couldn't see her eyes because her hair was cascading over her face and shoulders, but he could hear a soft defeated whimper, and it pained him.

"My…er…Kagome, it was never my intention to upset you." He crouched down, and reached out a hand to comfort her, but withdrew it as he remembered her heated words. "I will not touch you, or refer to you as my love or my woman until you want me to."

He heard her sniffle, and though it made his face scrunch up into a contorted grimace he added, "And I won't call Do...Inuyasha any more names."

Kagome lifted her head, and saw the sincerity reflected in Kouga's strong features. His glistening eyes were watching her intently, so she tried to smile for him, but it was a weak effort at best.

The tears that had been threatening to fall since her encounter with Inuyasha in the woods were now overcoming her. She had held them back throughout the fight, and had tried to be strong while passing through the vortex, but it was all too much.

It was times like these she desperately wished she could go back to being a normal high school girl. She longed for a life where her biggest concern was getting a passing grade in math class, or finding the right dress to wear to a school dance.

Admitting that to herself made her feel even worse, because it would mean giving up all the people who had become important to her in the past couple of years. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her breathing became ragged. Her shoulders trembled, and a low-key wail echoed from deep within her.

Gentle arms tentatively worked their way around her, and soon she found herself being softly rocked back and forth. Kagome knew she should stop him, but she needed to be held more, and she sank deeper into his embrace instead. She let her emotions flow unbidden until she wore herself out.

Kouga made a deep humming sound. The rumble relaxed her, and an exhausted Kagome found herself dipping into sleep.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Naraku watched the intertwined couple through Kanna's mirror with a twisted smile upon his cold lips.

'This is certainly an interesting development. I had not planned on Kouga's involvement, but I may turn this to my advantage. After all, I was going to need to acquire him eventually for his two remaining shards. This should ensure my possession of them, and perhaps provide me with some amusement,' Naraku thought smugly.

His chamber door was thrown open and Kagura strode inside unceremoniously depositing the shrunken spider in front of Naraku.

"I brought the spider back like you wanted," she stated, eyeing him expectantly.

The spider's body twitched, and blood was still spilling from the open wounds. Her face mouthed something too quiet to be heard, but Naraku nodded in her direction as though he understood.

Kagura tensed at the scene. She had long ago grown weary of doing Naraku's bidding while she was kept in the dark.

"This detachment was no match against Inuyasha. Why is she so important to your plans?" Kagura's red eyes radiated with barely constrained hatred for her master.

Naraku smiled inwardly at her futile attempt at defiance. "And Inuyasha?" He asked dismissively, without even acknowledging her question.

"As you requested, I was able to get ahead of him significantly without letting my trail become impossible to follow."

"Excellent. Begin preparations for our guests."

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I struggled with this chapter more than I could have imagined. Many thanks to BelleDayNight for being a sounding board, and test reading it for me! Also, thanks to the people who have reviewed. I love me some reviews!


	3. Struggle

Journey of the Heart: Chapter 3 - Struggle

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and his companions are not mine to own.

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As Kagome woke up she felt warm and safe. A smile spread across her lips, and she cuddled deeper into the soft blanket, which seemed to be made of...fur? Her eyes shot open to see an amused wolf youkai smiling down at her.

"Comfortable?" he asked slyly.

"Kouga!" Kagome exclaimed, while clumsily untangling herself from the highly entertained demon. The flustered girl tripped at least three times upon freeing herself, and somehow managed to leave her clothes and hair in a general state of disarray in the process.

The, now standing, girl finally managed a somewhat controlled, "So, how long was I...um..."

"Sleeping?" he offered, while biting his bottom lip to hold in the building laugh.

"Yes!" she agreed a little too enthusiastically.

"Not long." His wry smile softened before adding, "You look really sweet when you sleep." He extended a clawed hand to brush some stray strands of hair out of her face. The light touch sent a shudder down her spine, and she found herself leaning into his caress as his palm rested against her cheek.

Her blush deepened, and after a long pause it was Kouga who removed the hand. "I said I would not touch you without permission. I apologize, Kagome."

Kagome felt terrible, and maybe a little...disappointed? "Oh Kouga, I am the one who is sorry. I was really mean to you earlier. Some things happened right before we got pulled in, and I haven't had time to deal with them. I took it out on you, and it wasn't fair."

Kagome dropped her head so she wouldn't have to look him in the eyes. "You have always been good to me. And, I never even thanked you for coming to my rescue."

He cupped her chin, and lifted her face. His usually playful blue eyes took on a serious cast. "You do not need to thank me. I will always be there for you." The mischievous sparkle returned as he continued, "Besides, it wasn't much of a rescue."

Kagome could not help but giggle. Kouga shot her a mock indignant look, and she nearly doubled over with laughter. "Are you mocking this youkai prince?" he asked jokingly.

"Hehehe, 'this youkai prince?' Are you imitating Sesshoumaru now?"

"How dare you compare me to that arrogant dog, Lady Kagome? You have besmirched my good name!" Kouga said, while entrenching himself in fake aristocratic airs.

Kagome suppressed her amusement to continue the act. "How may I make amends for my grievous misdeeds, my lord?"

"Yes, what would a good penance be for such a dire wrongdoing?" he asked himself, while exaggeratedly stroking his chin, and walking in small deliberate laps around Kagome. "Well, you could...hmmm...no that will never do. Or you could...no I suppose that would be impractical."

As he continued to present false ideas, Kagome found herself giggling madly. But her laughter stopped abruptly as he caught her hands in his own, and looked at her intently. "Would you really like to make it up to me?"

Their proximity, and the intensity of his expression were wreaking havoc on Kagome's senses. She felt her knees go weak, and heard her heart pounding loudly in her chest. She couldn't help but notice the way wild sprigs of dark hair were framing his handsome features. Kagome cursed her body's responses, but there was something so exotic about the man leaning toward her.

Kagome was speechless as she stared helplessly into his effervescent blue eyes. 'I should say no, but I do feel bad about before. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about what he wants from me. Maybe I'm a little too curious. After all, I've been in, what I think is love, with Inuyasha for quite a while now, and I broke things off only a few hours ago.

'Oh god, he is sliding his thumb over the palm of my hand. Why does that feel so good? How can I already be so attracted to someone else? To be fair, it really isn't all that sudden, I mean, even when he was kidnapping me I thought he was kind of beautiful.

'Still, what about Inuyasha? It isn't like my feelings for him ended right after our conversation. I miss him, and I wish I could take back everything I said to him. The only problem is, I know I did the right thing.

'OK, Kagome, get a grip! This has been the mother of all marathon pauses. Kouga is going to get bored, and fall asleep if you leave him hanging any longer! All right, so what will I say? Well, there is no telling what Kouga is going to want from me, so I should definitely say no.'

So when a confident "yes" escaped her lips, he wasn't the only one who was surprised. Kouga recovered quickly, and a warm smile lit his face.

"We should get going," he said, while releasing her hands.

"But..."

"We don't know anything about these lands, so we should do some exploring before it gets dark." She still looked perplexed so he added, "I will make my request again when you are really ready for it."

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His hanyou legs launched himself from the ground with incredible force as he ran. He was airborne for what seemed like an extraordinary amount of time with each leap. The casual observer would believe the silver haired man was flying, but even at this rate--pushing all of his power to its limits--wasn't enough.

"Damnit!" Inuyasha thundered aloud as he continued his fervent pace along the trail Kagura left. 'How the hell did she manage to get so far ahead of me? At this rate, I might even lose the trail before I find Naraku. I can't let that happen!

'I'm coming Kagome. Hold on. Please, just hold on.'

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"Can you see him?" Shippo asked, for what seemed like the billionth time since they had taken off on Kirara in pursuit of the determined hanyou.

"You are the youkai here, if your senses cannot pick him up, then what chance do we have?" Miroku explained calmly once again, knowing it would only keep the boy's nervousness assuaged for a few moments.

"Don't worry Shippo, Kirara still has his scent. We will find Inuyasha." What Sango didn't say, was her hope that finding Inuyasha would feed into finding her best friend, Kagome.

But they weren't talking about her anymore. The subject hurt too much. Everyone felt guilty about failing to protect her, and everyone was eager to see her returned. More than that though, they were afraid of saying what they worried about the most--that it might already be too late for their cheerful friend from the future.

"I do not like this situation." Miroku absently said under his breath, while he carefully examined the situation.

Sango stared at him for a long time before speaking. "I hardly think any of us would claim it is ideal."

"What?" he looked at her in surprise. He had not realized he said anything out loud. "Oh, of course not. What I meant, however, was that we seem to be playing into Naraku's plans."

"Why do you say that?"

"We are strongest as a unit, but he has already managed to separate us from Kagome, and Kouga for that matter. That takes away our ability to sense shards--not to mention cutting at the heart of our group. It also made it a simple matter to draw Inuyasha out on his own. Again, this weakens our overall attack strength.

Then think about Kagura--she has fought us many times before, but this is the first time she was unable to cover up her trail allowing us to follow," he finished with a furrowed brow.

"You think she is purposely leading us somewhere?" Sango asked.

"I do. And I think that may or may not be to Naraku. I just hope we will be able to turn things to our advantage when the time is right."

Miroku sighed heavily before continuing with his next point, "And there is another problem."

Sango's mind quickly spun through the recent events trying to figure out what Miroku could be talking about, but nothing came to mind. "What is that?" she finally asked.

"Inuyasha is going to turn human at nightfall."

The demon slayer and the monk shared a pointed look, and then simultaneously, encouraged Kirara to continue forward at an even faster pace. The fire cat agreed, and with great strain, managed to push even harder in search of Inuyasha.

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Kagome and Kouga had been surveying their surroundings for over two hours. He held in his arms, and used his incredible speed to cover more ground. It had taken much convincing on Kagome's part to assure Kouga she really would be fine with this arrangement after the outburst she had earlier that day.

She had explained that had more to do with her foul mood, and not being asked, than the actual situation. He offered to let her ride on his back, but she had just shaken her head vigorously. That particular method of travel was too closely tied to Inuyasha, and she preferred not to be reminded of him at present.

Being carried in Kouga's arms was also less strain on her own body, than having to hold on to his back. If she hadn't already had a nap she was sure she would just curl up against his chest, and fall blissfully asleep. 'His body is very warm, and although the armor is not exactly snuggly, that soft fur is. Oh stop! There I go again. What is wrong with me today? Kouga is just my friend.'

They had been traveling mostly in silence, since holding a conversation while being slammed with wind resistance wasn't exactly enjoyable, but after two hours of finding nothing of any interest Kagome spoke up. "Trees, rocks, grass, trees, rivers, cliffs, trees, and then some more trees just for good measure!" There was obvious frustration in her voice, and Kouga came to a halt.

"Not a fan of trees?" he quipped, perhaps unwisely.

She shot him a look, but otherwise allowed the comment to pass. "I just wish there was something. ANYTHING! Anything, except all this generic landscape full of nothing. How can there be so much of so little?"

"Kagome, what is really bothering you?"

Her stance went from confrontational to vulnerable instantly. 'What is it about him that makes me want to pour my heart out? Inuyasha never wants to talk about how I'm feeling. Ugh! I've got to stop comparing them. It is just driving me crazy. Or crazier, anyway.'

"It's just that, this is another situation I've gotten someone involved in, and I'm not being much help at fixing it," she finally answered.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm the one who got pulled into the well, bringing the Shikon jewel back. I'm the one who shattered it. I'm the one who always gets kidnapped or attacked. And now, I'm the one who got pulled into a vortex."

Kouga cringed slightly at the mention of kidnapping, but did not interrupt until he was sure she had finished. "While I cannot place all of the references you made, I don't have to, because I know the most important parts already. I know that you are a good and caring person who would never let harm come to anyone if you could prevent it. If things have happened to cause hardship, then they could not be your fault."

"Kouga, that is sweet, but..."

"No, Kagome. You may not see it, but you are a positive force." He tentatively reached out his hand, this time allowing her to decide if she wished to grasp it. She did. "You have already changed me for the better."

She timidly asked, "How have I changed you?"

"My pack was always important to me, but before I met you, little else mattered to me. Now I am much more considerate of all creatures. I have become a better leader, and a better man because of you."

As Kouga finished his short, but heartfelt speech he leaned in toward Kagome. She could feel him getting closer, and she didn't pull away. Their lips were only inches apart, and their eyes slowly began to close as she could feel his warm breath fan across her mouth. Closer and closer they moved until she felt herself being violently ripped from his arms.

Kagome screamed at the sudden upheaval. She found herself in the talons of a strange flying creature. It had a bird's head and talons with a slender scaly body and long reptilian tail.

Before she had time to struggle against its grasp, she found herself landing hard on the ground. Kouga had managed to launch himself to the escaping monster. His fists were pounding against its neck fervently as the beast desperately sought to remove him with its giant beak.

'Ouch. OK, quick check--nothing is broken, but my backside is going to be sore for a while. Kouga seems intent on defeating him even though I'm safe now. If only I had my bow and arrow, then maybe I could help him. So what am I supposed to do--watch?'

She stood up, and scanned the area for anything that might be helpful. There were some fist-sized rocks loosely resting nearby. 'Those look pretty heavy, but if I could throw one high enough to hit that thing, it might give Kouga the distraction he needs to take it out.'

Luckily the distraught beast was circling the general area instead of fleeing, which meant Kagome could remain where she was instead of running after them with an armful of heavy rocks. She took one in her small hand, and struck a pose like she had seen discus throwers use on the Olympics. Mustering all her strength and determination, she swung her body, and released the stone with all her might.

The results were less than impressive.

The rock sailed only a few feet in front of her--never threatening to make contact with the thrashing demons. "Damn!" she said out loud, shocking herself.

'I really have been hanging out with Inuyasha too much. OK, I need to keep trying. I wasn't able to shoot an arrow straight the first time either.'

She retrieved another rock, and this time she gripped it with both hands low to the ground, and thrust them up at the same time. It was the same move she had used when one of her friends tried to teach her basketball, much to the dismay of her friend. The rock still failed to hit its target, but not by as much.

Getting discouraged, she looked toward the airborne fight, hoping that he had everything under control. She saw a battered and bloodied Kouga still raging against the larger demon. He wasn't exactly winning, but he was holding his own.

But that all changed, when his attention turned to her for a second. Their eyes met across the distance, and in that moment the monster saw an opportunity. It grasped Kouga in its beak, and began to crush him.

To his credit, he didn't scream, but he couldn't subdue the painful wince that contorted his face. Conversely, Kagome's voice was becoming raw from yelling his name. She saw he was still alive--still struggling, but it wasn't enough. "Oh Kami! NO!"

'I'm watching him die. I have to do something,' she thought frantically.

Tears blurred her vision, but her eyes landed upon another of the rocks she had gathered. Kagome grabbed the stone, knowing it was Kouga's only hope now. She was too focused on Kouga to notice the pink energy halo crackling around her as she launched the stone at the beast.

It hit.

And that impact was more powerful than any she had ever infused an arrow with. Her miko powers instantly dissolved the beast from the sky, causing the gravely injured Kouga to freefall.

"NO!" she screamed outstretching her hands as she watched him drop, knowing the fall itself could finish him off. But he didn't fall. He was surrounded in the same pink light, and hovered midair. Kagome watched in shock, not fully understanding what was happening, but instinctively her hand lowered, and as it did, so did Kouga.

Kagome was at his side in seconds. "Kouga!" she gasped out of breath. 'There is so much blood, and he isn't moving!' "Come on Kouga, wake up!" she yelled before whispering, "Please," and burying her head against his blood stained neck.

As tears leaked from her tortured eyes a new glow emerged from her body. It expanded to encompass them both, and as it did so Kouga's wounds healed. Bones reset themselves, and flesh sealed, even the splattered blood that coated them both was vanishing.

Kagome hugged his prone figure. Her body was racked with sobs, and she took no notice of the healing energies that were coming from inside her. She was inconsolable with grief over her dying friend, until his, now fully healed, arm curled around her waist.

"K-Kouga?!" she choked out, barely daring to open her eyes. Instead of a blood-streaked face, she saw brilliant blue eyes staring into her glistening cinnamon ones. Relief and joy washed over Kagome.

Tears of happiness now streamed from her eyes, where once there had only been anguish. His free hand wiped away the salty evidence from her cheeks. Kagome slowly lowered herself to him.

At first their lips lightly brushed against each other, but soon they were pressing hard in a full needful kiss.

She wouldn't think about Inuyasha now, or the quest for the shikon, or her friends who were waiting for her safe return. All that mattered at that moment were his lips skillfully pressing and nipping against hers, and the steady beat of his heart against her palm.

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Author's Note: Whoo! I never thought I would get that chapter done. I would love feedback on this story. I am having a really hard time evaluating it objectively. This is one of my favorite pairings, and it is important to me that I do them justice. Constructive criticism is perfectly welcome, and if you want to e-mail directly to me, that is cool too. I know I hate to publicly critique someone. E-mail: 

FF Reviewers, you are awesome, and it is time I give some credit for that! So, a big thank you to Exquisite Cherry, BelleDayNight (a constant source of inspiration and assistance), A naughty mouse, Angel6585 (thanks for following me from my fic, _Crossing the Line_!), Imagenation Queen, CherryBlossomLove, Nichole Hibiki (I hope you felt Kagome was a little nicer this chapter), BC1, ZmajGoddess, I love Kouga! (I wasn't sure what to make of your review. But the idea that it was both good and uninteresting did make me laugh, so I'll take it as a positive experience. I guess you will have to let me know if I caught your interest this time around. Oh, and to answer your first review, I probably won't say much more about Kikyo than I already have.), and xSilverShadowsx.

MM Reviewers, thanks so much, but why do I get so few reviews from this site? Tough crowd? Anyway, thanks RabidFangirl101 and pandyl!

AFF Reviewers, a big thanks to you guys! Ashley, Fairia13 (I was so excited to get your review because I've been LOVING your story, _Stronger_. Everyone who is reading this, go check it out right now!), sphinx, TAJE, KogasHentaiLuver (things are going to heat up, but I don't think they are going to necessitate a switch to NC-17 by any means, sorry. I hope I don't lose you as a reader because of it), and last, but certainly not least thanks to, Jasmine Fields.


	4. Determination

Journey of the Heart: Chapter 4 - Determination

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and his companions are not mine to own.

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Inuyasha could feel his stride becoming shorter as the sun sank into the horizon. "DAMMNIT!" he screamed loudly enough to startle a nearby flock of birds from their roosts as he charged ahead.

'Why did it have to be today? Couldn't she have found a more convenient time to get abducted?' Inuyasha stopped briefly when he came to the foot of an almost comically steep mountain. The smooth rock face was nearly completely vertical, and the top was somewhere past the clouds that obscured it from view.

Without any more delay, Inuyasha attacked the climb with the same vigor he had poured into the previous tracking. His sharp claws were the only thing standing between him, and a particularly nasty fall. He knew turning human before reaching the top would mean death, but he never even considered not going.

'Hanyou, youkai or human, I will rescue you, Kagome. I swear it!'

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Kagome's fingers laced through Kouga's long dark hair. It was surprisingly soft considering the rough life he lived--devoid of the modern conveniences afforded to her even in the feudal era.

The warmth of his body pressed against hers made her feel slightly dizzy. His lips were massaging hers with zeal. Her body tingled all the way to her toes as his tongue ran along hers in a sensually playful manner.

Kouga had enveloped her in his arms. His strong fingers were working along her back, kneading and rubbing her muscles through the thin fabric of her school uniform. Everything in her body buzzed with a strange mixture of excitement and contentment.

She felt so safe--so cared for, but something in the back of her mind was gnawing at her for attention. 'What is it?' She found it difficult to form thoughts as her body became progressively warmer. Her eyes fluttered open to catch a glimpse of nearly lidded brilliant blue eyes. 'Blue? Is that right? Wait, shouldn't they be amber?'

"Inuyasha!" she gasped as she broke the kiss. Lowering her head in shame, she pushed away from the embrace.

Hearing that one word spoken from Kagome's lips wounded Kouga more than fighting a thousand youkai ever could. When she had initiated contact he thought it was too good to last, but when she welcomed his advances, part of him started to believe he truly had a chance in her heart. For the first time since he met her, he dared to hope they were out from under the shadow of the hanyou, who had captured her heart.

Now that hope had been shattered like a mirror colliding with the cold, hard ground.

Kouga's body pulsed in agony as he watched her retreat a few paces away, and curl herself into a tight ball. His heart felt as if a clawed fist was squeezing and wrenching the life from it.

"Kag-ome?" he tried to mask the hurt in his voice to spare her further feelings of guilt, but despite his intentions, she flinched in response.

"I-I'm sorry Kouga. I shouldn't have…" Her voice trailed off as tears began to bead within her dark eyes.

Kouga's pain melted into concern as he watched a tear slide down Kagome's flushed cheek. He slowly crept closer to her position, and gently pulled her into a nurturing embrace. One hand traced semi-circles over her back while the other brushed over her hair in a comforting manner.

At first, Kagome had resisted his comfort--still feeling guilty for the tortured look in his eyes--but soon she found her face buried against his neck. Her tears slid over his tanned skin as the steady rhythm of his breathing calmed her.

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Naraku watched the wolf youkai and miko with growing interest. 'Hmm, I suppose for Kagome it is not absence that makes the heart grow fonder, but rather out of sight out of mind. I do wonder how poor determined Inuyasha will feel about all of this when he discovers how close they have become.'

Naraku emitted his strange clucking laugh as he pictured the hanyou's face at seeing the woman he refused to admit he loved in the arms of one of his rivals. As amused as Naraku was by their dysfunctional interpersonal relationships, something about their earlier confrontation bothered him.

'She has never exhibited so much spiritual ability before. Their current situation must be allowing her to tap directly into her powers. They are not bound by the same inhibitions and restrictions they are normally. It would be best if she made no further attempts to use her powers in there. It is too difficult to predict what the outcome might be, and I do not enjoy leaving things to chance.

'I had hoped to use the beast to prevent them from discovering sensitive locations, but perhaps I should eliminate all opposition for now to keep her skills at a reasonable level.'

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When Kagome gained control of her emotions again, she shifted so they were more or less facing the same direction, but she remained close to him. "Don't ever do that again," were the first words to break the mutual silence.

Kouga's eyebrows arched with surprise. 'Could she mean the kiss? It wouldn't surprise me, but she was the one who started it. Maybe she meant the way I have been comforting her. Am I to never touch her again? But if that were the case, why hasn't she pulled away? Perhaps I should just ask.'

"What is it I should never do again?" he forced his voice to remain even, and hoped for the best.

"Get yourself nearly killed just to save me," she said simply.

"Ohhh," he purred in understanding. "Kagome, it will take more than a little pest like that to stop a youkai prince," he said with more than a hint of his trademarked arrogance.

His reply earned him a sharp slap on the chest from Kagome as she pulled away to face him. "I'm serious!" Her eyes glistened slightly as she continued, and he feared another wave of tears might be brimming. "I thought you were dead," she said just loud enough for his sensitive hearing to register.

'Actually, why did I heal so quickly? Given the extent of my wounds it should have taken at least a week for a full recovery--probably even longer--and that is with youkai healing abilities. So why is it I'm sitting here without a scratch on me?'

"Kagome, what happened with the beast? I remember I was just regrouping to take it out when I saw a blinding pink light, and then I must have rested my eyes because the next thing I remember is holding you," he asked without a trace of sarcasm.

"Regrouping to take it out?" Her expression took on a deadpan look. "Resting your eyes?"

"Something wrong?" Kouga asked when he saw a bead of sweat form on her forehead.

"No, of course not, assuming that translates to 'being crushed to death by a giant beak' and 'passing out' in wolf youkai that is."

"Ahem, I did not 'pass out,'" he said rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest in a pout.

A small smile found its way onto Kagome's lips at the proud demon's reaction before turning more serious to answer his question. "I'm not sure I understand what happened either, Kouga.

"One minute I was just desperately hurling a rock at it in hopes it would cause enough of a distraction for you to get the upper hand, and the next it was dissolving in midair," she said trying to rack her brain for more information.

"Isn't there anything else you remember?" he probed.

"I was so upset. I wasn't really thinking straight."

'I guess that explains the kiss,' Kouga thought sadly.

"Wait, there is something. I felt a surge of energy go through me when I threw the last stone. And..." She wasn't sure how to finish the thought. Surely, she couldn't have destroyed the creature using her miko powers without an arrow.

"And?" he goaded.

"Well, it's just that it felt like I was channeling my miko abilities. It was kind of like the time I repelled Madam Centipede without using a weapon. I guess that makes sense. But, the next part is really strange." Kagome's brow furrowed slightly as she remembered watching Kouga slowly lower to the ground in a halo of pink energy. 'Could I really have been controlling that? I've never used my powers like that before. I've never even seen Kikyo do anything that controlled without something to focus the energies.'

"Go ahead Kagome, after the day we have had, I think I could believe anything." Kouga shot her a winning smile in hopes of picking up her spirits so they could get to the bottom of the strange land.

It did the trick, and Kagome's shoulders dropped a bit, showing she was more relaxed. "I think I kept you from hitting the ground, but I don't know how that is possible."

Kouga cocked his head to the side to study the doubtful young woman. "I do."

"You do? How?" she asked with considerable surprise.

"You are a resourceful and powerful woman, Kagome. I've known that for a long time. It is sad you have such a hard time believing in yourself."

A bright blush spread across her cheeks, and she averted her gaze slightly at his generous words. In hushed tones she managed to thank him before continuing. "It isn't that. I just, well, I've never seen anyone use miko powers like that--not Kaede and not even Kikyo. So how could I do it without even being trained?"

"You have a very strong will. Perhaps, the power simply obeyed when your heart desired it enough." Kouga said while taking one of her hands in his own in a reaffirming manner.

"Maybe you are right," she finally agreed, but she was far from convinced. 'Something still doesn't feel right about this. After all, I've been in life or death situations before. I've seen my friends injured. I've seen Inuyasha nearly killed. And yet, none of that was able to draw out such massive power, so why now? Why here? Does it have anything to do with this place?'

"Is that how you were able to heal me too?" Kouga asked, needing confirmation on the event he found most surprising and impressive.

"Me? I thought your youkai powers healed you."

"They would have healed me eventually--but take a look--not even a trace of a wound." Kouga said as he stretched his arms wide to give her a clear view of his body.

Kagome's eyes darted over his arms seeing no abrasions of any kind. His smooth neck was free of nicks and scratches. Her eyes trailed slowly down to his chest where much of his armor had been torn away by the beast, exposing a well-defined hairless chest. Transfixed, her gaze continued to slide further down--over his tight abdominal muscles and down a little further to the fur belt holding his lower furs in place. Her cheeks felt hot as she continued staring to check for cuts, yes, cuts.

Kouga smiled almost wickedly when he realized his body had caught her interest. "Everything looks good?" he asked mischievously.

"What?! Oh, yes, it looks great! Uh, I mean good. No, I mean fine! Ummm...that is, there are no injuries." Kagome managed to stop speaking to prevent her already red cheeks from blushing any brighter. "I think I could use something to drink, um water that is."

'I love it when she gets flustered. The tips of her ears turn pink. It is quite endearing,' Kouga thought happily. "Water, yes, we might be here for a while. It is time we gather some provisions. Sunset is upon us, so we should probably find a campsite too--preferably something with some natural protection since we obviously do have enemies in this place."

Kagome was immeasurably grateful that the conversation had finally turned to safer topics. The less she thought about her feelings for her travel companion, or the silver haired hanyou on the other side of the vortex the better.

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Dull claws savagely embedded themselves into the firm ground as Inuyasha strained every muscle in an attempt to pull himself to the top of the cliff before his transformation was complete. Dark black strands of hair were already threading their way throughout the normally silver mane, and his senses and strength were declining rapidly.

'Just a little further,' he thought as he grunted loudly, and thrust himself onto the landing in one final extreme effort before his amber eyes darkened to an almost obsidian color.

Cursing his weakness, he laid on his back to gather his strength before continuing. His labored breathing was the only sound he could hear, which wasn't surprising since he lacked his acute hanyou senses.

Finally pushing himself up--using Tetsusaiga for balance--he took in a full survey of the mountain top--or at least as full as it could be without the benefit of keen night vision. He could no longer track Kagura, and if he allowed the trail to completely dissipate there would be no finding it tomorrow.

He had to continue on using his limited human abilities for all their worth. Seeing nothing of interest in his first sweep, he moved forward to see if he could discover any clues as to where Kagura had gone.

'Keh, where is Kirara, or even that runt, Shippo when you need them? Oh right, I abandoned them in my rush to rescue Kagome. They were holding me back. Glad that is working out so well for me. If only I hadn't turned human--stupid hanyou weakness! Sigh, this is no time for self-loathing or self-pity. Wait, what is that behind the grove of trees?'

Inuyasha increased his pace in the direction of his discovery in hopes that he had stumbled upon some clue to Kagura, and thus Naraku's, whereabouts. Sure enough, he had found the entrance to some kind of cave.

"Finally!" he exclaimed as he ran full tilt at the mouth of the cave only to be violently repelled by one of Naraku's forcefields. He was sent flying several meters before a tree graciously impeded his momentum.

"Damn!" he managed to groan as he struggled to get back to his feet. He nearly doubled over from the pain in his side. 'Great, now I have a broken rib.' He attempted to take a few steps, but collapsed from the searing agony in his chest. 'OK, a few broken ribs.'

Inuyasha managed to pull himself into a reasonably comfortable position, and although it took every bit of willpower he had, he forced himself to remain still. 'Damn Naraku! And damn this frail human body! But at least I know where I need to go once I can wield the barrier breaking Tetsusaiga again.

'As much as I hate to admit it, there isn't much more I can do until the morning.' Inuyasha fought the powerful urge to sleep that threatened to overtake him. He never slept while he was in human form. He was far too vulnerable, and with his recent injuries it was even more important to remain alert.

To keep himself awake he tried thinking, but every thought turned toward his last argument with Kagome. Her parting words still looping in his memory, and it brought him pain that eclipsed even the physical pain of his injuries.

Struggling to find a more peaceful line of thought his mind drifted to the rest of the group. He knew that even their significant abilities would not be enough to break through the barrier, but he had to admit he wished they were there. He had been alone for some time before encountering Kikyo fifty years ago, and although he always tried to make it seem like he preferred it that way, he really hated it.

As he awkwardly laid on the cold hard ground, he thought about how much better his situation would be if the rest of the group was there. Sure, Shippo would no doubt be taking this opportunity to make up for some of the times Inuyasha had chased or hit or yelled at him. And Miroku would probably spend most of the night finding ways of getting his hand on Sango's bottom. And Kirara would just do whatever it was Kirara did when they were resting for the night. But just being with them was kind of nice, even if he rarely participated in their idle banter.

Traveling with the strange group had become his second chance at having a family. Even though they squabbled at times, it was never as serious as his battles with his brother, Sesshoumaru. His brother had never had any use for him, but there was a time when all Inuyasha had wanted was to be just like him. And although he would never admit it--certainly not in his hanyou form--a part of him still admired the older dog demon.

'Why do I always become so sentimental when I'm in this form?' He shifted slightly, and winced when a new stabbing feeling shot through his torso. 'If Kagome was here I'd feel better. Of course, if Kagome was here, then I wouldn't need to be. Did that make sense? I think the pain is starting to affect my brain.

'Wherever you are right now, Kagome, I hope you are safe. You better be protecting her, wolf!' And as a second thought came crashing into his mind, he added, 'And staying the hell away from her!'

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Author's Note: I got myself a new computer for Christmas. Good news for me, but less so for fans of this story. Writing just didn't seem as much fun as testing out all the new capabilities! But at last you have chapter 4! You can also blame my _Crossing the Line _fans. They MADE me update it twice before I updated this story. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.

FF Reviewers: Angel6582 (I always look forward to your reviews! I'm glad you think my stories are fairly error free. I hate the editing part, so I'm glad someone appreciates it.), TheLightintheDarkness (I'm glad you enjoyed it!), Dancing-Anime-Lover (hey person, thanks and I will!), AnimeLover18 (Aww, shucks!), Kouga's #1 fan (I will!), kogas-mate05 (I love people who are reading both of my chapter fics!), Black-rose23 (All will be revealed in time), Sierrakoi (I have to agree), Nichole Hibiki (Merry Christmas to you to, and a Happy New Year!), nonofyorbiz (I hope this chapter helped alleviate your concerns with the pace of their relationship.), garry (Thanks! I think you are great for reviewing!), i-wish-i-was-kagome (Yea!), VangieGirl (No plans to involve Kikyo or Sesshoumaru yet, but I haven't ruled it out as an impossibility either. I feel like I'm already juggling a million characters as it is!), Mesa Juu-Chan (You are awesome!), and jschu25 (It is always great to have a shot at converting someone to one of my favorite alternate pairings!)

MM Reviewers: I just found out that no one can review without being signed in. Sorry for thinking no one cared about me on this site. If it is easier just email me with your reviews directly. E-mail: wastedthoughts insightbb. com (just take out the spaces.) And now, on to the thanks...I couldn't access the reviews when writing this so, sorry I can't do a personal message, but thanks for your review BookNerd!

AFF Reviewers: KogasHentaiLuver (I'm happy to hear I've still got you reading), KitKat (Sorry I didn't update as soon as I would have liked. I shall make it my new year's resolution to be faster!), Nikolyta (Aww, thanks! That was definitely the kind of review that makes my day), and Cheshire Angel (Thanks!)

Direct E-Mail: brittany s (Thanks for your review--whether it was to this story or my other one!)


	5. Slipping

Journey of the Heart: Chapter 5 - Slipping

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and his companions are not mine to own.

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"Oww!" shouted Miroku in pain.

"If you don't want Sango to hit you with Hiraikotsu then you should stop being such a hentai," Shippo said dryly.

"No, it was worth it," Miroku replied with a dreamy expression which earned him a hard glare from the demon slayer.

"It is getting dark, and Kirara is growing tired so we should find a place to land soon," Sango said, trying to lure the subject away from the monk's lecherous ways.

Taking on a more professional air, Miroku considered her words. "We should try to find Inuyasha first. He should have slowed down slightly toward sunset, which means we may not be far from his location."

Sango struggled to scan their vicinity by the light of Kirara's flames. Something came into view directly in front of them, and Kirara came to an abrupt stop mid-air.

"What is it?" asked Shippo as he peaked around Miroku's robes.

"It is a mountain. A tall one," Miroku said as he craned his neck and squinted his eyes, trying to make out the top.

Kirara turned her head back to Sango momentarily, then immediately continued their flight upward with zeal.

"I guess she senses something," Sango said calmly when she noticed the wide-eyed reaction from Miroku and Shippo.

Moments later, they were at the top, and Miroku and Shippo both jumped from Kirara's back as soon as her feet touched the ground. Sango scoffed under her breath as she slid off to join them.

"We should scout around a little before we set up camp," Miroku said officially only to find Kirara and Sango disappearing into the shadows.

"Where are they going?" Miroku asked himself out loud.

He glanced to the small fox cub at his side, who shrugged, and answered, "Women," before scurrying off to join Sango and Kirara.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Inuyasha could hear something rustling through the underbrush, and it was getting closer. 'Naraku's henchmen aren't going to take me without a fight; human or not!' He managed to pull his battered body up the trunk of a nearby tree as noiselessly as he could, although the urge to cry out was great. He crept out onto a limb and waited until his would be assailants were closer.

The effort he expended in the climb made it difficult for him to stay conscious, but he held onto the limb with everything he had. He could have buried himself beneath the foliage in hopes that the strong forest scents would mask his, but he refused to run from battle--even if he was hopelessly injured and outmatched.

With the extra shade the tree's thick leaves were creating even the moonlit sky could not penetrate, making it nearly impossible for Inuyasha to see his attackers as they moved into position beneath him. He gripped his nearly useless untransformed Tetsusaiga in his free hand, ready to attack.

'I've got one shot at this. I better make it count.' Inuyasha twisted his body off of the branch, so he would fall directly on top of whomever Naraku had sent after him. "You won't kill me that easily, Naraku!" he shouted on his decent.

As he plummeted, Sango pulled Kirara and Shippo out of the way, leaving Miroku to be flattened by the human form of Inuyasha. His staff had blocked the rusty Tetsusaiga from causing any harm.

"Who are you calling Naraku?" Miroku choked out from beneath the man who looked much lighter than he actually was.

Realizing his mistake, Inuyasha tried to push away from the monk, but the fall had managed to snap another weakened rib, and the pain was too much. Shippo found himself in a fit of laughter watching the two men writhing against one another, trying to extricate themselves from the embarrassing situation.

Sango noticed Inuyasha's strange behavior and immediately knelt down to gently roll the dark haired man in the bright red robes off of the monk. "Inuyasha, you are badly hurt. Who did this too you?" she asked as she quickly inspected his prone form.

"Keh!" he exclaimed loudly and tried to turn away but found he was even unable to do that.

"Inuyasha, we only want to help," Miroku said calmly now that he was free of the human hanyou. "If there are enemies nearby, we need to know."

In a very small, almost undetectable, grumbling voice Inuyasha caved, "It wasn't anybody."

The rest of the group exchanged a look. "We don't understand," Sango finally said for everyone.

"NOBODY DID THIS TO ME! I ran into a forcefield. It threw me against a tree, and this stupid human body snapped like a twig! THERE! Are you happy now?!"

After his outburst he refused to allow his dark eyes to meet theirs. 'Kami, now they know just how weak I am. They are human too, but you don't find them lying on their backs every time we meet up with a forcefield.'

"Inuyasha, don't you think you've proven yourself enough times that you are allowed to get hurt every once in awhile? It could have happened to anyone. We have all witnessed the breadth of Naraku's abilities. This is nothing to be ashamed of," Miroku said in a sincere tone.

"Keh," was the only reply Inuyasha could make without saying something nice he might regret later.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kagome was beginning to get frustrated as she quickly rubbed sticks together in hopes of starting a fire. 'This always works on TV! on fire. I finally convinced Kouga to let me stay here and set up camp while he looked for food, and now I can't even start a stupid fire. Where is a lighter when you need one? Oh yeah, back in the future or in my backpack. I am not a big fan of this place! Now come on, fire, light!'

One of the sticks snapped, and Kagome wasn't far behind. "OH! I said, LIGHT!" A ray of pink energy shot through her hand and onto the waiting sticks igniting them in flame.

A speechless Kagome stared at the newly lit fire as Kouga ran up behind her holding his findings. "I see you have everything ready," Kouga said warmly. Still in shock, she raised her eyes to meet his.

"Is something wrong, my lo--Kagome?"

'Aww, he is trying so hard to avoid calling me his love and his woman. That is so sweet of him and yet I find myself kind of missing it.' This thought made her slightly uncomfortable, but it had succeeded in taking her mind off of the unusual energy surge from her miko abilities. "Nothing is wrong, Kouga. Thank you for getting dinner."

"It is the least I could do. I hope I wasn't gone too long, but it took quite a while to find any game at all. I had almost given up when I spotted this rabbit. Are you still certain you want to cook it?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, where I come from no one eats meat without cooking it first. Well, unless it is seafood or not meat, of course," Kagome explained awkwardly as she began to fashion a spit to cook the rabbit on. She was still praying that Kouga would take it upon himself to skin it. Everyone else in her group made fun of her for being so squeamish over such tasks, but she longed for the ability to buy prepared meat from the store.

Kouga crinkled his eyes slightly as he studied her. "Over time, I've heard you and the others make many comments about where you are from. Is it a distant village?"

Kagome opened her mouth to answer, but she closed it again when she couldn't decide how to respond. 'Should I tell him? We have always said the fewer people who know about the well the better, and Inuyasha would not be happy about it. But, well, why should I care what he thinks? Kouga is my friend, and if it weren't for Inuyasha maybe he would be working with us, and our shard hunt would be over by now!'

"Kagome?" Kouga tilted his head and watched her face go through a range of emotions as she delayed answering his question.

"Oh, Kouga, right, where I'm from... You see, the thing is, I'm not really supposed to say." She averted her eyes, feeling bad about not being more open.

"I see," Kouga said while withdrawing a knife from inside his fur-lined boots and quickly washing it off before preparing the rabbit.

'He seems hurt, but what can I do? I'm sure it is best this way. Maybe if I just start talking about something else he will perk up.'

"It, uh, it is really pretty out tonight." She mentally slapped herself for her lame attempt at conversation.

"It is," Kouga said almost curtly.

Kagome bit her bottom lip softly and racked her brains for another topic. "How are Ginta and Hakkaku doing?"

Kouga sighed and faced her. His eyes were strange and unreadable. "You still don't trust me. I have tried so hard to be everything you have need of, Kagome, but you won't let me in. I know you don't love me, but can't I even be your friend?"

Kagome's voice caught in her throat as she watched the wolf demon in disbelief. His honest words made her heart hurt. "K-Kouga," she slowly croaked out.

Kouga turned his intense blue eyes away from her. He felt guilty for giving her more of a burden to bear. "Never mind. I apologize for my outburst. Ginta and Hakkaku are well. They miss you and ask about you often." He was ready to return to their dinner when two arms curled around his waist.

"Kouga," was all she could manage to say as she pressed her body against his back, holding onto him tightly. Her cheek rested flush against his shoulder blade, and a small stream of tears leaked from her clenched eyes.

Touched by the gesture, he twisted her around to his chest so he could return her comfort. They held each other in silence for a few minutes before Kouga brushed her tears away with his forefinger. "You have been doing far too much of that over me lately," he said so softly she barely heard him.

"Oh Kouga, I'm so sorry," she said woefully.

"Shh," he comforted. "You have nothing to apologize for. I shouldn't have been so careless with my words."

"No, I mean it. I haven't been a good friend to you. And I'm sorry. I do trust you. And I..." Kagome's heart started beating ferociously as she realized she had almost said she loved him. 'It is a good thing I stopped. I do love him as a friend, but if I said it now he would get the wrong idea. It is the wrong idea, isn't it?" Her head swam and her heart was still pounding as she struggled to sort through her confused emotions.

Kouga had noticed her hesitation, and was looking to her for clarification. "And I want to tell you about where I am from," she finally managed to finish.

"You don't have to."

"No, I want to," she replied firmly.

Kouga smiled affectionately. "Then I would like that."

Kagome dried the remainder of her tears, and Kouga reluctantly returned to readying the meal as she told her impossible story of the future, the magic well, and how their mission for the shards began. Kouga said very little as she spoke, but it was clear he was astounded, especially by her details of the future.

When she was done, he handed her a piece of flat bark with a helping of cooked rabbit and a side of berries and roots. Kagome watched him carefully to see how he would react to such a fantastic tale and partially to take her mind off of the rustic feast.

'I hope he believes me.' She took a bite of the rabbit and forced a smile. It was not necessarily an unpleasant taste. Kouga had done a good job of cooking the meat, but the idea still bothered Kagome. 'I wish I had my ramen or a cheeseburger. Mmmm.'

"I guess that explains the clothes," Kouga said at last.

"The clothes? Oh, my school uniform, yes, I guess it is kind of unusual in this time period. Inuyasha always tells me I should wear something more appropriate."

"I knew there was a reason I didn't like that mutt," Kouga said as he wolfed down his food--no pun intended.

Kagome blushed at the implied compliment.

Something was bothering Kouga, but he was reluctant to mention it. 'She said the only other person able to travel through the well is that dog. What does that mean? If she was destined to come here then does that they are also destined for one another?'

Kouga's chest rumbled with a low key growl at the thought. 'NO! He is not as attentive as he should be to her. He still longs for the dead one. Even if she does not want to be with me she should be with someone who will love her the way she deserves to be loved.'

He gazed lovingly at Kagome as she picked at the food on her makeshift plate. Sensing his attention was upon her, she looked at him nervously. "I wasn't picking at it. I really like the rabbit," she said far more defensively than she meant to.

A knowing smile spread across the wolf youkai's lips. "Actually, I was just thinking how beautiful you are tonight, even if there is no moonlight to show it off."

Another blush overtook Kagome's cheeks at his charming words, but before she could respond, another thought entered her mind. "No Moonlight!"

"Kagome?" a very confused Kouga inquired.

"I had forgotten. It is the night Inuyasha turns human. I hope he doesn't do anything stupid to rescue me while he is in that state."

Looking slightly abashed Kouga spoke. "I am always willing to comfort you in any way possible, but I am sure whatever the dog is up to right now, you can rest assured, it is stupid."

Kouga released a heavy breath. His quip at Inuyasha's expense hadn't improved his mood. 'She is worried about him again. I can't let that keep getting to me every time. It will only upset her, and of course she is worried about him. She has a remarkable heart, and she cares about everyone. Hell, she probably cares about Naraku.'

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Almost as if he heard Kouga's thoughts, Naraku smiled a wicked smile. 'Well done, wolf. I have long suspected there was some link between Kagome and the well, but I didn't expect to come by the answers so completely and so easily.

'Still, if everything goes according to plan, I may not even get the opportunity to exploit this new information. But I really must remember to thank Kouga before I take his shards and his life. He has become an excellent catalyst for gathering information and distracting Kagome from the new intensity of her powers. Not to mention, for the fun I'm going to have playing with Inuyasha's emotions once they manage to get through my barrier.

Well, once they are through the barrier and past my pets. I can't make it too easy on them, or they would get suspicious.'

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Author's Note: Not long after I posted this chapter a reviewer brought it to my attention that there is no moonlight during a new moon. A little "phases of the moon" research later, and I made a revision--thanks Dragon Lady. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review!

FF Reviewers: A big thanks to Nichole Hibiki (Happy 2005 to you as well. Kagome is still figuring things out, but she'll get there!), Yoko-obssessor, Llamachick (I never intend to do that, but I think I must like making readers feel a little guilty about their pleasures because my other chapter fic is quite the sordid love triangle as well. Her powers didn't just jump for Kouga, though he was the catalyst. There will be more on that as chapters progress.), nunofyorbiz, Nikolyta (I especially hated editing this chapter, so it is always good when I hear it is appreciated.), BelleDayNight (I'm so glad you are back from break. Now I can plague you with questions and feedback again. Bwa ha ha!), becky, Angel6582 (Santa has been informed about your technological woes. Make sure to check your stocking thoroughly next year!)

MM Reviewers: I've been having lots of problems with posting and reading reviews lately on this site. I'll keep trying for now.

AFF Reviewers: Thanks to Cheshire Angel, kogasgirl1, and KogasHentaiLuver (Thanks for all the great reviews! There might be a little tragedy along the way, but there will also be kissing and sweetness and adventure. So hopefully it will balance out!)

Kouga's Den Readers: Feel free to email me reviews at wastedthoughts (remove spaces).


	6. Dreams

Journey of the Heart: Chapter 6 - Dreams

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and his companions are not mine to own.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Night had settled upon the strange, hollow world.

They had bedded down for the night. Kagome was snuggled under a blanket of soft grasses due to their lack of provisions while Kouga kept watch over the sleeping girl. He was fascinated by the systematic rise and fall of her chest and the way her skin glowed under the firelight.

'She looks more peaceful than I've seen her since, well, I guess I've never seen her look this peaceful. Exuberant, yes, embarrassed, yes, agitated, most definitely, but never this serene.

'I guess if I am going to be awake on watch out duty I could at least be trying to figure this place out. It should be easier than trying to figure her out at least.'

Finally looking away from her sleeping form, Kouga relaxed with his back against the base of a tree and reached out with his heightened demon senses, enhanced further by the shards embedded in each of his legs. He felt the bark make only a mild impact upon his skin while the night air brought only the vaguest scents to his olfactory senses. Even the fire that crackled and danced only a few paces away emitted only the barest measures of warmth and light.

As the demon prince studied a fallen leaf, trying to understand why the very colors of nature seemed strangely flat, he noticed something even more peculiar-the leaf took on the lustrous state of being he had grown to expect. Kouga blinked slowly, thinking he had only imagined the change, but sure enough, it was more vivid than it had been. Or had he been wrong earlier?

He decided he would try another experiment, so he concentrated on the fire. He pictured the intricate movements of the flickering tongues, roasting over the smoldering embers. He imagined the thick, hearty scent of the chalky smoke, and he carefully envisioned the way the fire would coat him in a blanket of warmth.

And just as it had with the leaf, the fire took on a more lively radiance, exhibiting all the properties Kouga had focused upon it.

"What the hell?" Kouga said, not realizing he had spoken aloud.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked in a clear voice, free of any of the grogginess it should have had after waking up so abruptly.

"Hey, I thought you were sleeping."

"And I thought you weren't in the habit of talking to yourself. I guess we were both mistaken." She pulled herself out from under her forestry bedding and curled into a sitting position next to the fire. Dark strands of hair clung to her cheek until she tucked them behind her ears.

"You are just full of surprises." He said while admiring her innocent beauty.

"Such as?" She tilted her head and smiled at the demon regarding her.

"Well, you managed to trick a demon's senses into thinking you were asleep for one. And for another, you've been through a fight with a giant spider, sucked into a vortex, explored new surroundings, and been not quite sleeping without any bedding." His voice added extra sarcasm before evening out for a more serious finish, "But you are still beautiful."

Kagome blushed deeply and cast her gaze down to her toes. They were painted a light blue shade. It made Inuyasha uncomfortable when she used nail polish, so recently, she had been making sure her toenails were always covered. It was one of the ways she had tried to keep him from ignoring her, but as always, the only thing it got her was negative attention.

She struggled to remember every detail to take her mind off how warm she felt after Kouga's remark. The bottle had been shaped like a heart and bore the name Opalescent Azure in bright pink glittery letters. Her mind blanked so she just continued to watch her opalescent azure toes as they curled, uncurled, curled, uncurled, curled half way, uncurled.

"I made you uncomfortable." He said lowering his head to catch her attention.

Still attempting to be transfixed by the amazing curling toes she quickly said, "NO! No, not at all. I...I have just learned to breath rhythmically so Inuyasha doesn't yell at me for distracting him while he is on guard."

"I see."

Kagome bit her lip as she realized she had once again brought up the silver haired hanyou. 'Well, why shouldn't I talk about him? He is an important part of my life-**was** an important part. No,****IS an important part. Maybe.' She sighed at her frustrated, contradictory thoughts. 'I guess it doesn't matter if we don't find a way out of here.'

She stilled her body and lifted her head, meeting his opalescent azure eyes. "Thank you."

"For what?"

She paused to think about why she had said it. She was just so grateful to have him with her. She was sure she would have fallen apart without his reassurance that everything would be alright. She was thankful that he was gentle with her where Inuyasha would be crass. She was glad he cared about her and genuinely tried to think about what she needed and wanted. But how could she put that into words without sounding foolish?

"Thank you for being sooo...Kouga," she finished simply.

Kouga leaned forward, so he was just within reach of Kagome. He stretched one hand out to move some newly fallen strands of hair out of her face. Her heart raced as his fingertips lightly brushed her face. "I guess it was the least I could do then," he said warmly while he moved to sit closer.

The light from the fire illuminated a sparkle in each of their eyes, but they failed to notice how no shadow stretched beyond their bodies.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

"You should get some rest." Sango cajoled the irritated hanyou as he fidgeted.

"I should be slitting that bastard, Naraku's throat, not lying on my back like some kind of invalid!" He tried to jerk himself into a sitting position, but only managed to inflame his injuries further.

Sango forced him back to the ground gently but firmly with the kind of strength only a tajiya possess. "You WILL lie still," she commanded with equal force.

"Keh!" he said by way of reluctantly agreeing to the situation, seeing as how he had no choice in the matter. His chest was just a mass of pain, and every movement just caused electric fire to sweep through the rest of his body, making it unlikely that he could wage a full assault against Naraku at the moment.

He stared up at the stars, mentally cursing his condition. He paid little attention to the fox cub who was already soundly asleep or to the monk who adoringly watched the demon exterminator when she wasn't facing him and lustfully watched her when she was. He did give some thought to Sango as she worked on covering their trail and preparing an area for sleep, if only to avoid another scolding. Something told the hanyou that getting into a fight with her would be far less advisable than those he so commonly had with Kagome.

He thought of their last fight. Her pained words resounded in his human ears. "Something has to change, and I guess it is going to be me," she had said. He never wanted her to change. She was perfect-too perfect. He was half human and half demon. Couldn't she see he wasn't whole-wasn't worthy? But no, that is part of what made her so wonderful. She didn't look at people and see flaws; she saw their positive traits and their potential.

Maybe if he could have seen himself the way she had things would have been different.

Inuyasha grew more restless. He didn't want to be pointing toward the stars anymore. The stars were too much like her-brilliant and untouchable. Inuyasha turned his head away from stars that mocked him. It was worth the stabbing sensation as his nerves rebuked the change in position to stare at the cold, hard ground instead.

It was unforgiving-like him.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

"So, why are you still awake?" Kouga asked breaking the silence at last.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said jokingly folding her arms in front of her in a serious manner.

"You could, but then you would be one of those people who answers a question with another question, and I've never really trusted those who do that."

"Oh, you are in trouble now. I'm going to be monitoring your every response, and when you slip up, I will nail you on it!"

"So, I have your undivided attention, and I may be punished?" he asked with a devilish grin. "I guess this is my lucky day."

Kagome blushed again, but this time she didn't look away. Instead, she chose to simply ignore his suggestive comment. "I'm just not tired. There is so much to think about, and I did have that impromptu nap earlier." She shot him a guilty little look.

"It was a well-deserved rest," he assured her. "You really should get more sleep though. We need to cover more ground tomorrow. And even though I'll be carrying you, I'll need your sharp senses to guide me."

Kagome's eyes opened as large as saucers. "My sharp senses?" she repeated questioningly.

"Of course. Your miko abilities are going to be invaluable in finding our way back," he affirmed.

She wasn't sure whether to be jubilant he had so much faith in her or scared out of her mind. Either way, the thought made her head spin, and suddenly, sleep sounded like a very good idea indeed.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Kagura strutted through the corridors of Naraku's latest lair. This time it was a cavernous maze set deep into a mountain, but Kagura did not care if she was in a castle or a cave. It was just another prison to her-another place to be suffocated and confined within, instead of breathing the air of freedom.

There was little that made the passage of time more bearable for the wind witch. She did enjoy a good slaughter and the wolf demon pack had proven good at bleeding for her pleasure. She also liked to torture the mutt and his lackeys both physically and verbally. It was really too easy to get a rise out of Inuyasha though, so she tended to prefer the tajiya. She had a hard exterior, but mention her brother and the sparks would fly-or giant boomerang to be specific.

But the one past-time that really helped was her ritual of devising different and preferably horrifying ways of killing Naraku.

On Tuesday, it was beheading with his breakfast. Thursday brought drip torture with the daily report. And Friday, she came up with living burial during her lessons with the new demons recruited to aid in slowing Inuyasha down from reaching the inner sanctum before the time was right.

Yes, it calmed her considerably to know she would dispense of her unwanted master one day, but in the meantime, he held her heart in the palm of his misbegotten hanyou hand, and she would do his bidding-for now.

Today, that bidding took the form of playing nursemaid to an overgrown spider with a serious case of indigestion. He would pay double for such intolerable abuse of her forced loyalty.

'Releasing a swarm of starving beetles into his quarters.'

'Drowning him with the blood from his own severed limb.'

'Severing his-'

"Kagura!" a familiar, demanding voice cut off her thoughts.

'His death is not coming soon enough. Yesterday wasn't soon enough,' she thought as she approached the pale-skinned demon in rich, lush robes.

"What news do you have to report?" His voice was even, but there was a no nonsense air that clearly expressed he was not in the mood for Kagura's typical hostility and defiance.

"The spider is not well. Her legs should have regenerated by now, considering how many shards are inside her, but they remain little more than stubs. More disturbing are the intense abdominal pains, but I suppose that is to be expected." Kagura finished, holding back her usual barrage of curses and threats that so often peppered her debriefings.

"Indeed," was all the dark haired man said in response which only served to aggravate Kagura further. She decided to favor tact over recklessness for once.

"I can be more useful to you if you share your plans," she said judiciously. 'And the more I know, the sooner I can put one of my plans into action,' she thought while forcing back the wicked smile that threatened to appear.

Ignoring her statement completely, he continued to stare at her with bored, penetrating eyes until even Kagura had to admit to being uncomfortable. "Check our first line of defenses. Even with the red Tetsusaiga's barrier breaking abilities it is unlikely they will breach it until tomorrow night, but I want to make sure they are introduced to my pet when they do. See that he is adequately prepared for his guests."

She turned sharply on her heel before she was unable to suppress the venom she felt for the smug hanyou.

"Oh, and Kagura..." he said, waiting for her to return to her humbled position, kneeling before him, "You may leave now." His eyes sparkled at delivering yet another humiliation upon her proud shoulders.

'Making the bastard human again and forcing him to do **MY** bidding until his weak body gives out from exhaustion.' Pleased with her latest death scenario, Kagura went to look for Naraku's "pet."

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

It surrounded her.

A thick, acidic syrup coated her entire body: hair, clothing, skin, everything. It numbed her into a frozen position-arms outstretched as if grasping for something or someone and legs captured in the midst of a run. But there was nowhere to run within the vile substance that clogged her air passages in its smothering embrace.

A pungent odor burned her lungs. It was very similar to the smell of rotting flesh. And this was not the first time she had been confronted with the foul stench. Since arriving in the distant past in a war-torn era, she had encountered her fair share of tragic scenes: soldiers cut down in the heat of battle, poverty-stricken towns lying in filthy ruins, and even children slaughtered in their own beds by demons.

No, Kagome was no stranger to death, but as she choked on the amber ooze, she frantically realized this death was her own. She wanted to struggle against it, she wanted to flee or to fight or to cry, but no one could hear her silent screams as she drowned in the sickly concoction.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Screams pierced the silent night.

"Kagome," Kouga said in a soothing voice as he rushed to her aid.

The shrill cry continued to echo from the powerful lungs of the young miko, hampered only by the fearful sobs that shook her slumbering body.

"Kagome!" Kouga said again, this time louder while grasping her around the shoulders. However, the feeling of something pressing against her only made her struggle more fervently and soon her small fists were hammering against the exposed chest of the wolf prince.

"Kagome, please wake up!" he finally shouted in frustration.

With a loud gasp, Kagome's eyes flew open. She possessed a wild look at first. He wasn't sure if she was going to go back to screaming or continue attacking his abused chest. Luckily for him, she did neither.

Recognition took hold as she continued to look into his brilliant blue eyes. "Kou-ga?"

"I'm here, Kagome. And you are safe. I promise I would never let anything harm you."

"I couldn't breath and I-I..." She couldn't find the strength to say what had been so obvious only moments before. And then she felt her hands encased in his larger ones, giving her a gentle squeeze of support. "I was dying," she managed to finish to Kouga's surprise.

Her body felt weak and drained. Remaining upright was too much of an effort, and even with him holding her hands, she felt so utterly separate and alone. So she flung herself against him. It was bold and forward of her, but after feeling her body slowly dying around her, she desperately needed to be part of something alive.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to BelleDayNight who has been supportive of my writing all along and always allows me to use her as a sounding board. Also thanks to Fairia13 who has also been a good source of ideas and encouragement for this chapter. Make sure to check out their wonderful stories.

Also, I am very sorry there was such a long delay in updating this fic. On the plus side, I did complete my story, _Crossing the Line_. Check it out if you like Rurouni Kenshin!

FF Reviewers: becky (I'm glad you enjoyed), Angel6582 (I finally updated! Aren't you proud of me:) ), xInfernal (Sorry it took so long), Nichole Hibiki (Evidently you aren't the only one who wants to kill Naraku), Yoko-obssessor (thanks!), Black-rose23 (I hoped some people would like those lines. Things just keep unfolding, but they will probably raise more questions than answers for a bit), Thirteenth Dragon (I've been a fan of this pairing since he was introduced in the anime), SilverMoonsBlackWings (aww, thanks, you're awesome), Dakyu (I'm flattered, thanks), BelleDayNight (Props number two in this author's note for you, but you deserve it! Writing fanfics is just more fun when you are around to discuss them with), SailorKagome (When I got your review I copied and pasted it to all my friends who were online at the time. It definitely made my night. Being a deity is a big responsibility, so I hope you like this chapter!)

AFF Reviewers: kogasgirl1 (OK, soon didn't really work out, but I'm hoping to have the next one up sooner), KogasHentaiLuver (I am really honored and I promise there will be kissing!), Dragon Lady (That was lame on my part. I fixed it as soon as I read your review. Thank you for saying it in a nice way), Fairia13 (Thanks for your help with my thought process!), Jasmine Fields (He seems to becoming more suspicious, doesn't he?)

MM Reviewers: animephantom (Awesome, thanks!), Rinako (I am glad you like my use of "real" words. I aim to please. Seriously though, thanks!)

Kouga's Den Readers: Feel free to e-mail me reviews at wastedthoughts (remove spaces).


	7. Direction

Journey of the Heart: Chapter 7 - Direction

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and his companions are not mine to own.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Kagome unwillingly stirred as the blinding morning light invaded the tranquility of her slumber. However, when she opened her eyes she found she was not lying on the ground as she had expected, but rather she was on Kouga's lap, nestled against his chest. Her hands were clutching his muscular arm so tightly that when she released him her fingers were sore.

Her first impulse was to jump out of his cradling arms, but her body was stiff from sleeping upright. Allowing her body to relax naturally, she realized the wolf demon was still asleep. 'His face is so peaceful.' Noticing his hair was mused from a night of leaning against a tree, she instinctively reached out to smooth the dark black strands.

She enjoyed the soft texture against her sensitive fingertips. Her eyes shifted downward and drank in the flawless skin, his strong features, and then his lips. They were the very same lips she had pressed against her own in an explosion of emotion the day before. They were so close. Everything had happened so quickly before she didn't really get a good idea of what it felt like. 'He is sleeping, and as long as I do it quickly there wouldn't be any harm. He wouldn't even have to know.'

She leaned in closer so that her lips hung only a breath away from his. 'What am I doing? I can't just kiss him. Before, it was in the heat of the moment and I wasn't thinking clearly, but now I am actually planning it.' She pulled back just in time to see eyelids roll back to reveal shining blue eyes. "Good morning," said the beaming wolf prince.

"Agh, I was just...um..." Kagome blushed deeply and wasn't sure what to say at being caught touching him so familiarly. "Good morning," she finally repeated quietly.

Kouga's amusement transitioned into concern as he remembered what had led to her sleeping in his arms. "Are you feeling better?"

"Better?" asked a very confused Kagome. "When was I...worse?"

Raising an eyebrow at the bewildered girl, he carefully worded his thoughts. "You really don't remember what happened last night?"

This caused Kagome's already pink cheeks to redden another shade. Her thoughts spun as she tried to think back to the previous night. She remembered talking to Kouga when she couldn't sleep and him praising her miko abilities, but after that it was just a blank wall. So how did she end up in such a compromising position?

Kagome bit her lower lip and decided she needed to ask. The answer probably wasn't as embarrassing as she was imagining anyway. At least, she hoped not. "No. What happened?"

Frowning, Kouga explained about the nightmare. "I am surprised you can't recall anything. You were quite upset." He covered all facial evidence that would reveal how her memory lapse was dealing a mortal blow to his ego. After all, it was rare for her to turn to him for comfort and not the hanyou. Although Inuyasha had not been an option last night, Kouga had honestly believed her actions stemmed from a change in her feelings toward him and not just the lack of choices.

Kagome took no noticed of the dark clouds rolling through Kouga's normally dazzling eyes as she thought the peculiar situation over. 'It is strange I had a dream so traumatic that I rushed into the arms of the nearest demon, but it was just a dream so it doesn't really matter, right?' She tapped her fingers against the nearest surface to focus her concentration as she often did when she realized that surface was Kouga's arm. 'Eeep! I am still in his lap!'

She tried to jump to her feet, but her coordination was severely lacking, and she fell back against the bare, rippling chest. Kouga's typical whimsical reaction was absent as he reluctantly helped her to stand. Nervously, she fidgeted with her wrinkled clothes and tangled hair while he missed her closeness and longed to hold her again.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

"Kaze no Kizu!" The crimson Tetsusaiga that radiated waves of crackling energy came down against Naraku's barrier violently. Bright, swirling winds obscured the strike from view as Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara stood a safe distance away.

As the energies subsided and the immense cloud of dust settled back to the earth it was clear the barrier was still fully in tact while a very frustrated hanyou was coming apart at the seams.

"DAMNIT!" he shouted with fury before unleashing yet another, "Kaze no Kizu!" Another wave of powerful force was hurled at the impregnable force field and once again nothing happened.

"Keh! Don't think you are getting away that easily, Naraku! Kaze no Kizu!" screamed an almost hoarse-sounding Inuyasha at the silent, unyielding boundary.

"How many times has he hit it now?" Sango asked as her eyes followed the motion of her comrade's attack for what felt like the hundredth time that morning.

"Thirty-six by my count," said Miroku looking a little nonplussed as another attack shredded and scorched the very air. "Make that thirty-seven."

"Should we stop him?" asked Shippo who flinched as Inuyasha made another futile run at the barrier without success.

"Be my guest." Miroku stated passively.

Shippo caught a glance of Inuyasha's fevered expression and took an involuntary step backwards. "Good point. Breakfast, then?"

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Kagome's head slowly nodded up and down as the steady rhythm of Kouga's quick strides lulled her to sleep only to be suddenly jarred awake as he came to an abrupt stop.

"Wha...?" she called out while rapidly blinking her eyes to perk herself back up in case there was an imminent threat. "Is something wrong?" she asked with just a hint of a yawn obscuring her girlish voice.

"This entire world is wrong. We have been traveling for hours, and we are no closer to finding out where we are or how to get back than we were before." Kouga clenched his teeth as he spoke, upset that he was not a greater aid to his woman.

"But...what else can we do?" Kagome voice wavered because she was a little unnerved by Kouga's doubts.

"That's where you come in. Use your miko abilities to sense for anything that might point us in a direction."

Kouga spoke with so much confidence that Kagome didn't have the heart to meet his eyes. Finally, she replied in a very small, timid voice, "But, Kouga, I don't know how to use my powers like that." He was doing such a good job of being supportive of her, but she felt like she was only letting him down.

Grasping her diminutive hand within his, he squeezed reassuringly. "I know you can do this. You must believe in yourself." He fought the strong urge to complain about how that mutt had been making her feel weak instead of helping her realize her true potential. He knew it would only lead to a fight between them, and he didn't want to be the one she fought with.

Large hazelnut eyes peeked out from beneath long, dark lashes in admiration of the self-assured wolf demon. It was clear why he was the leader of his tribe. Somehow just hearing Kouga's smooth voice encouraging her made the formerly insurmountable task seem feasible. "How do I start?"

Kouga studied her thoughtfully, "How do you normally seek jewel shards?"

She twisted her worn shoe into the firm ground as she realized how lacking her answer would sound. "I can see a pink light surrounding them."

Kouga nodded, "Okay, but what about before they are close enough to see?"

She crinkled her sculpted eyebrows together slightly as she tried to think about the very first signs a shard was nearby. "When they get close my body starts to tingle." The familiar heat of a blush rose in her cheeks when the words escaped.

A sly grin spread over Kouga's face at that responsenot because it helped their current situation but because he enjoyed the thought that his very shard-enhanced presence made her body buzz.

Leaning in almost imperceptibly closer he asked, "Are you tingling now?" His warm breath fanned against her slender neck as he spoke, and Kagome trembled at the intimacy of the situation. Her hands still resting in his, their bodies close, and the warm glow of his skin under the blazing sun were all lulling her into a heady daze.

"Kouga..." She looked deeply into his sterling blue eyes as he tilted her head closer to his.

"Kagome," he responded as he prepared to meet her vulnerable lips.

"KOUGA!" Kagome jolted forward, looking past the wolf prince.

The youkai's head immediately swiveled in the direction Kagome was facing. He was slightly put out by her sudden movement, but he was more concerned by whatever had stolen her attention so abruptly. "What's wrong?"

"There _is_ some kind of energy in this world. I can't be sure, but it might be a shard!" Kagome excitedly pointed toward the ominous, spiraling mountain in the distance. "It's over there."

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Naraku drummed his fingers against the gnarled wooden arm rest of his imposing chair. His narrowed eyes studied the alarming images being fed to him through Kanna's mirror. Kagome and Kouga were boldly embarking toward the mountain in their "world."

'It is fortunate they have located the item. However, she was able to detect it far earlier than she should have been able to; sooner than I would have preferred. They are still too strong at this point.'

"Kanna, tell the spider she must insure they do not reach their goal too quickly. Their journey must not be a fast one." Naraku firmly ordered the small albino girl.

Kanna's unblinking dark, hollow eyes closed as she processed her master's commands. In a haunting voice that should not have emanated from such a petite body she replied, "The spider youkai remains weak and feeble. And there have been unforeseen occurrences within her sphere of influence already. She may be unable to manipulate events to your satisfaction."

"See that she does," he replied in a low voice. It was barely above that of a whisper, and yet there was no missing the finality in his tone.

"Yes, my Lord."

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

"Can we just walk for a little while?" Kagome asked hopefully as Kouga prepared to lift her into his arms for another run.

Cocking his head to the side, he responded. "It won't be as efficient." Inside, he was more bothered that she seemed to be shying away from physical contact.

"I know, but I haven't had much of a chance to exercise while being carried around all the time. And it is beginning to make my body feel strange." She stretched her arms out to increase the blood flow. She didn't want to make a big deal over it, but her limbs had been feeling peculiar ever since they arrived.

Kouga's eyes swept over her form in search of any sign that something might be amiss. Seeing nothing on the surface, he only nodded his agreement.

They walked in relative silence for almost an hour while Kagome struggled with her thoughts.

'I woke up in his arms and almost attempted to kiss him and not long ago I nearly kissed him...AGAIN! And the worst part is that I wanted to. I enjoy all the attention he is showing me. It feels...right, somehow. But how is that possible? I was in love with Inuyasha. LOVE! Wasn't I? Or was I just infatuated with him because he looked so cute and helpless pinned to that tree when I met him?

'My life was so boring before I came to this time. I'd wake up, fight with Souta over who was going to use the bathroom first, run to school with Mom scolding me over how I should eat breakfast first, and then I'd study and see my friends. The biggest adventure I ever had is when I missed the bus and the most responsibility was taking care of Souta if Mom and Grandpa were gone.

'And then I fell through the well, and everything changed. I am not like other people my age anymore. They are still worried about the insignificant aspects of life that I look at as vacations from the real world. The more time that goes by, the less I feel like I belong in my time. This era is changing me whether I like it or not.

'So was I really in love with Inuyasha, or was I just falling in love with what he represented?'

Kagome looked over to the wolf demon who was carefully keeping in step with her slower movements. 'And more importantly, what am I feeling for Kouga?'

"A fish for your thoughts."

Kagome blinked in surprise at the unexpected phrase. "Excuse me?"

His lips curved into an inviting smile. "It is something my mother used to say to me when I was younger if she thought I had a lot on my mind that needed to be voiced. My favorite food was fish, so she would offer it like a trade. If I told her what was bothering me then she would prepare fish for the night's meal even though my father hated it."

"I've never heard you talk about your mother before. Where does she live?" Kagome asked with sincere interest.

Kouga's blue eyes took on a distant expression at the question as if he was seeing events from the past that he had locked away. "She died a long time ago when I was still a pup." His voice seemed to waver just slightly as he spoke, but then flashing another smile, he continued. "I can't promise fish, but I will make dinner if you want to talk about what is bothering you."

A lump formed in Kagome's throat as she watched Kouga dismiss the difficult subject matter. She wanted to put her arms around him and make all the pain of his childhood go away. But instead she decided she would let him talk to her when he was comfortable enough to let her in and not when she felt like she was ready to comfort.

Realizing she still hadn't answered his question, she finally spoke. "I was just thinking about how much I've changed since coming here."

"I bet it is less than you think."

"Why do you say that?" She asked with honest confusion.

"Because of something a wise youkai once told me; the more things evolve, the more they remain as they were." Kouga took her hand to help her cross a decomposing, fallen tree. Kagome blushed slightly at the polite gesture.

"Your mother?" she inquired before she could stop her ill-timed curiosity. Biting her tongue, she waited for the wolf prince's response.

In a soft voice he answered, "No. A wolf elder, actually. He raised me from a pup."

Kagome did manage to halt her questions about Kouga's father that were threatening to be asked. She understood that there was something unpleasant in Kouga's past he might not be ready to talk about, and she had already done enough damage. So instead, she asked about his original comment. "So what does his statement mean?"

"He was trying to tell me people only see how much something or someone has changed. They see all the little differences, but not the whole object or person. If they stepped back they would understand that remaining true to its spirit in the face of so many shifting details really makes something the same because of those differences, not even in spite of them."

Kagome knitted her brow together as she tired to follow his comments, but still found she was lost.

"I guess I don't explain it as well as he did." Kouga laughed at her contorted expression. "I've never really been very good at using words. I suppose that's why I learned to be so fast on my feet."

"You are a lot better at expressing yourself than some people I know." Kagome said a little too honestly.

Kouga froze in place. "I am not Inuyasha, Kagome." There was a biting edge to his voice and his eyes were shadowed beneath his flyaway bangs.

"I...I know that." Kagome felt a little off guard as though actually bringing up his name had broken some kind of unspoken vow between them.

"Yes, but you have been comparing us since we met. You can't expect to just make a pro and con list to decide whom you love. How you feel about me doesn't depend on him. You either care about someone or you don't, Kagome. It is that simple!" Kouga's eyes flashed dangerously as his temper flared.

"Kouga," she muttered weakly, surprised and even a little afraid to see the way he was acting.

Kouga clenched his hand into a tight fist. He was already upset at himself for speaking to her so unkindly, but he was growing frustrated and impatient at the way she remained closed off from him especially after his recent candidness. He decided they both needed some time apart to think things over.

"Stay here. I'll be back." Strong legs sped the angry wolf demon away from the shaken girl.

Tears stung her eyes and her breathing came in quick spurts. The sound of her emotional outpouring was just loud enough to block out the tiny snap of a branch being stepped on and broken behind her.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please review! Special thanks to Fairia13 for a chapter critique!

FF Reviewers: **BelleDayNight** (As always you are a constant source of support for my writing), **Nichole Hibiki **(Love is in the air. Even if they aren't quite ready for it), **NenaBabylocs** (I feel the same way about this pairing), **SilverMoonsBlackWings** (Hehe, glad you are enjoying), **nunofyorbiz **(Aww, thanks), **Fairia13** (Thanks for all your help!), **Angel6582** (All will be revealed in time), **Yoko-obssessor** (Arigato), **andi-chan** (Hope this was soon enough!), **VangieGirl** (There was a little fluff in this chapter, but there will be more to come!), **Trinity** (I am flattered), **wynter89** (You can read as much of my work as you like :)), **Kagome Jane** (I'm glad you like it!), **SailorKagome** (Hopefully you will be back to a computer to read this chapter soon), **sakurablossomskxk** (You are so awesome to review every chapter as you read!)

Sorry for the length of the next response, there was no e-mail to respond directly.

**Amber** (Thanks for your reviews. I wanted to respond a little to your comments. I'd also like to add a disclaimer to what I am about to say by explaining that I've never had a class in Japanese, and I am by no means a native speaker, so this is coming from reading several websites and referencing a friend of mine who took three years of Japanese. So if a native speaker has anything he or she would like to clarify I would be most happy to learn it because I find this kind of thing fascinating. Also, I sincerely hope this doesn't sound condescending. Your comment just made me want to confirm the difference, and I thought I would go ahead and share my findings. Personally, neither translation bothers me.

Anyway, the reason I use Kirara instead of Kilala is that I watched the anime in subtitles instead of the dubbed version. My understanding is that the translated manga also used Kirara, but as I've never read the translated manga that is neither here nor there. My point is I am more familiar with the Japanese form of the fire cat's name which is Kirara. In Japanese there are not two distinct sounds for R and L, but rather a sound that lives somewhere in between the two. When Japanese kanji is translated into western letters R is the preferred letter to be used. However, it is difficult for native English speakers to pronounce, so in many cases it is adjusted to a version with L's like in Kilala.

I am surprised you didn't bring up the Kouga versus Koga issue because that too is normally the difference between someone who watched subtitled versus dubbed anime. But my explanation of Japanese vowel sounds will have to wait.

As far as the Keh versus Feh sound debate, I could find no evidence that the F and K sounds were in any way related. From what I could tell the F sound in Japanese is weaker than the F sound we are familiar with so if it was Feh we would be more likely to say Heh. But since it is a sound he makes when upset (which is kind of a lot) a more forceful sound makes more sense. In the subtitled version, it sounded like "Keh" to me and since this is only an exclamation like "Arg!" spelling is more likely to be played fast and loose because it isn't the type of thing that appears in dictionaries. I've seen it appear both ways in fan fictions, so until I have more concrete evidence to the contrary I will continue using "Keh" for consistency's sake if nothing else.

Now, granted, I am writing in English, so the use of any Japanese isn't really consistent, however, I do enjoy the "flavor" it adds to fan fiction. And it could easily be compared to the way much popular Japanese music incorporates English phrases amid primarily Japanese lyrics.

Can you believe how long my response was considering how brief your reviews were?)

AFF Reviewers: **Nikolyta** (You rock, girl), **ANJU** (Thanks),** lost child** (And I would like you to read more)

MM Reviewers: Where is the love, people?

Kouga's Den Readers: **ThunderShootingStar#7** (Thanks for the e-mail! I fully intend to keep Kagome as a strong character.) And everyone feel free to e-mail me reviews at wastedthoughts (remove spaces).


	8. Alliance

Journey of the Heart: Chapter 8 - Alliance

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and his companions are not mine to own. Also, Inuyasha isn't having the best day, so he has been cursing a bit. It is nothing too extreme in my opinion, but be warned!

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

"Kaze...pant...no...gasp...Kizu!" a very winded Inuyasha rasped as a wave of scarlet energy burned the already hazy sky as it cut a swath through the swirling debris and dust toward the invisible barrier. Just as it had every other time, the energy was unapologetically repelled by the unaffected shielding that protected the mouth of the cave.

Inuyasha's breathing had become noticeably labored after completing the massive slew of attacks. His arm muscles were already past the burning that began after the first twenty or so assaults. Now they hung numbly from his throbbing body. The activated Tetsusaiga remained in his swollen hands through sheer force of will as his amber eyes burned with determination.

Mustering a reserve of strength that should have been depleted long ago by the still wounded hanyou, he launched himself forward for another deadly sweep of the barrier-crushing blade.

"Inuyasha, STOP!" The impassioned but strained voice of Sango met his sensitive hearing halting him from unleashing the wind scar once again.

"Keh! Damnit, woman! I am trying to get to Naraku and Kagome! I don't need you breaking my concentration!" he barked venomously in her direction as he subconsciously propped his body against the sword that he planted firmly into the earth.

"Inuyasha, be reasonable! You never gave your body adequate time to heal from your injuries last night when you were in human form. You have been pushing your strength to its limits for hours now, and all you have succeeded in doing is cutting a crater in front of the force field." Sango searched his eyes for some sign that she was reaching him, but his expression reflected only stubbornness.

"Yes, Inuyasha." Miroku agreed before the hanyou could shout again. "You are so tired you cannot even stand without leaning on something. Even if you are able to break through that barrier how are you going to fight Naraku in your current state?"

"KEH! You don't think I can fight that worthless bastard?" Inuyasha's face was reddened with rage, appearing only a few shades lighter than his haori.

"It is not that. We only..." Miroku began but was cut off by the unanticipated sound of approaching footsteps upon the crunchy fallen autumn foliage.

"They only want you to stop acting like a fool," an icy voice finished for the wide-eyed monk.

"Kikyo..."

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Kagome choked against the sob rising in her throat. Kouga's hostile reaction had caught her off guard, initiating a slew of questions, doubts, and insecurities that all fought for her attention.

'What did I say that was so wrong?' she thought with a combination of anger and dejection. 'I do keep bringing up Inuyasha around him,' she admitted to herself sadly, but immediately followed with indignation. 'But he was, no, IS a big part of my life, and Kouga is going to have to get used to that if he and I are going to...to what? Why is it getting harder to imagine my life without Kouga in it somehow?'

Kagome stared off into the empty skyline where the wolf demon she sought to understand had disappeared just moments ago. The air was still thick and hazy with the dust his powerful legs had disturbed in his haste to depart.

'He said he would come back. Kami, I hope he comes back.'

Kagome wasn't given any more time to ponder her recent drama as she became ensnared by insect like arms from behind. She immediately thrashed against her unseen assailant in hopes of being released, but the spindly fingers from four separate arms only pinched her soft skin more tightly.

There was no time and precious little air flow with which to scream for help, and considering the way Kouga had taken off, it was exceedingly unlikely he was still within earshot. From her vulnerable position all she could see of her attacker were the long, reptilian fingers with serrated nails that came to a sharp point. Small beads of crimson appeared upon her arms and stained her white school uniform shirt where additional hands bruised her waist.

Kagome knew she had to act quickly. It was a struggle just to keep her eyes open as she desperately tried to suck in enough air to stay conscious. With blind luck she launched her head backward, striking an unprotected neck. The impact caused her would be captor to momentarily choke and loosen its crushing grip upon her abused body.

She crashed against the unforgiving ground in a huddled pile. Kagome wanted to run, but her legs felt stiff and immobile. Sharply drawing a deep breath, her panicky hazel eyes drank in the terrifying sight before her.

The monster she faced was only about three feet taller than her, and its build was gaunt and almost malnourished. Still, its visage inspired a new spike of horror within her already shaken frame. Gray skin was tightly stretched over a bony frame consisting of four disproportionately long arms and a segmented torso with countless hook-like legs attached to an extended tail ending in a jagged spike.

But it was not the grotesque body or the strange, elongated head with razor sharp teeth that made Kagome's blood freeze in her veins. Its eyes held her transfixed. They were large and bright scarlet and filled with malice, but the true catalyst for the paralyzing fear that enveloped the young miko was the way those eyes looked just like a certain hanyou's when in his youkai state.

The trance didn't last long.

The monster's massive tail swung easily through the air and crashed just in front of Kagome. Chunks of earth sprayed against her face and caught in her tangled locks. This gave her the literal "slap in the face" she needed to come back to her senses. Pushing off her feet, she launched her body backwards and then rolled to the side as the powerful tail landed again.

Once on her feet, Kagome lost no time in putting distance between herself and it or him or whatever. She just wanted to be far away; she didn't have time to discern a gender for the nightmare chasing her.

She wanted Kouga to come back and scoop her up and use his amazing speed to get her out of harm's way. She wanted Inuyasha to be there to make some arrogant comment about how he was going to slay the beast before unleashing the wind scar.

Rock bit into her calf as the hard shelled tail collided with the ground and sent another wave of debris flying. She stumbled slightly, but managed to stay on her feet and only lost a little of her already dwindling lead.

She wasn't picky. She would take Sango, Miroku, Sesshoumaru, or even Kikyo. Anyone who could slay the demon upon her heels would have been a welcome sight. As her lungs burned with exertion she reconsidered her last thought. 'Well, maybe not Kikyo.'

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

"Kikyo..." Inuyasha breathed the dead miko's name again. His actions had taken a decidedly repetitive slant lately with his numerous unsuccessful attempts at destroying Naraku's barrier and now his inability to form new and different words. Despite the irony of the situation, the dreadful emotions he conveyed through that one word were not lost upon the audience.

It was finally Miroku who chose to break the pattern by speaking. "What brings you here?"

"The same thing that brings you," she replied evenly.

"What business do you have with Naraku?" asked a distrustful Sango. She had watched her best friend shed many tears over the painful love triangle she was trapped in with the unemotional woman adorned in white and red priestess robes.

The demon slayer was less willing than most to feel at ease in Kikyo's presence. She knew the story of a miko who protected the shikon no tama and fell in love with a misguided hanyou. She was familiar with the tragic ending where Naraku tricked the star-crossed couple into fighting one another. The miko died and the hanyou was sealed to a tree for fifty years.

The problem Sango had was not with the miko in the story. She was evidently a strong woman with convictions and even compassion who led a difficult life full of uncertainty and loneliness. She was also elder sister of someone the exterminator respected greatly, and perhaps more impressively, she bore the soul that was reincarnated into the person she had come to think of as a sister.

However, the frosty woman who held herself in a decidedly aloof manner before them was not the woman from the fairytale she had been told. She seemed to be another manipulation of Naraku's who consisted of dust and remains and found nourishment only upon the captured souls of others to maintain her mockery of an existence.

At least that is the way Sango saw things. From the look in Inuyasha's eyes it was clear he was looking directly into the past, and he was not the least bit pleased with the suspicious tone in the slayer's voice.

"This doesn't involve you!" he snarled at his travel companion.

Sango kept her eyes trained on the dead miko and said nothing to her angry teammate. Despite her reservations, she understood his position all too well. Somewhere within the cave they were attempting to enter they would no doubt find a young dark haired boy with an innocent face welding deadly scythes in the service of the twisted hanyou.

Tiring of the melodrama unfolding before her, Kikyo spoke again, "You will never penetrate the barrier using that attack alone."

"Keh," was his only response, but it lacked the jagged edge it normally held.

Kikyo walked forward to inspect the transparent boundary that protected the cave's inner sanctum. She maneuvered the broken earth before it with grace that defied the senses. She ran her long fingers over the force that held them back without invoking the shock wave that had sent a human Inuyasha spiraling backward.

Once she was satisfied with her findings, she spoke without facing the group of onlookers who were intent on her every movement. "Initiate the wind scar as I release a charged arrow, and it will dissolve."

"How do you know that?" Sango questioned, unable to stay out of the discussion and ignoring the warning glance from the irritated hanyou.

"Unlike some who possess holy powers, I know how to use mine effectively."

A calming hand on Sango's shoulder was the only thing that held her in place after the implied insult to the missing Kagome. She turned to see the serene eyes of Miroku wordlessly asking her to let it go.

Instead, it was Inuyasha who took the comment to heart and reprimanded the undead woman. He moved closer to her form of cool, pale skin framed by flowing ebony hair, loosely tied behind her. She was so much like another miko and yet starkly unique. "You won't talk that way about Kagome again. Understood?"

Her lifeless obsidian eyes stared back in response. Removing an arrow from her quiver, she prepared to attack the barrier and quietly waited for Inuyasha to do the same.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

The first thing she felt was her knee scraping against a rough rock deeply embedded in the forest floor. Then the palms of her hands slid across the coarse ground, tearing at her skin and leaving dirty trails of crimson marring her flesh.

But it wasn't until she tried to push herself back up and continue running that she realized her ankle was injured. Putting pressure on the wound sent searing pain rocketing through her leg, landing her back into the dirt where her cheek made a sharp impact, earning additional scratches.

Before she could come up with a new plan of escape she felt the monster looming over her prone figure. It crouched low over her heaving form which was gasping for breath and struggling against fatigue and pain. She could feel its sickly hot breath breezing across her skin which carried the pungent odor of its breath.

Its deadly claws were only inches away from her vulnerable throat when she once more thought of all the people in her life that would be able to save her from the creature. Then it dawned on her that she was one of them.

She was a miko, after all. She was the protector of the shikon no tama, a powerful jewel people and youkai alike had fought and died to possess. She had battled alongside a monk, a youkai exterminator, and a skilled hanyou on countless occasions. She was not some helpless girl who would be easily dispatched by some random predator!

Throwing both feet upward, she made contact with the monster's chest, managing to knock the wind out of its lungs momentarily. There was a heavy cost to her damaged ankle, but it gave her the time she needed to roll out of its grip.

Looking around wildly for some kind of weapon she could use in lieu of an arrow, she managed to find a fallen tree branch she hadn't noticed before. In a stroke of luck, it was long and straight with few offshoots, and one end had even broken off into a point. There was no miraculous bow handy, but she had managed some terrific feats of power already in the strange, new world, and she held her breath in hopes that she was about to perform another.

As the angry attacker barreled in her direction Kagome waited with her makeshift weapon tightly gripped in her right hand as she propped herself up into a reclined position. When its familiar, red eyes came dangerously close, she thrust the stick upward hoping to pierce the neck she had discovered weakness in earlier.

Her aim was true, and a pink glow surrounded her entire body as it was jammed deep into scaly flesh. The creature did not dissipate as she had silently wished, rather it reared up and thrashed wildly until one of its many arms managed to remove the intrusion and cast it out.

Not wanting to have anything more to do with the girl beneath him, he turned to leave, but not before sending a crushing sweep of its massive tail against her motionless body. The force of the swing sent Kagome skidding across the ground, stopping only when her stomach made contact with a sturdy tree wrapping her damaged body around it as though she were a limp rag.

Her thick eyelashes slowly came together as the world around her faded from sight.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

"It begins," Kagura said cryptically to coiled figure behind her. "I thought that fool, Inuyasha was going to kill himself with that sword of his and never make it this far."

There was no reply to her statements, nor did she expect to receive one. Yellow hued eyes glistened in the faint light streaming through the cavernous corridor they were perched in.

Not wanting to tip her hand to her fellow detachment she continued her thoughts silently. 'It is a good thing the miko came along when she did. Although, I don't know how they can work along side her. She even makes me uneasy, and I am the embodiment of the wind.'

The giant being at her back released a hissing sound that reverberated off the stone walls, causing an echo.

"They will arrive shortly. Just be patient," she advised without so much as a glance over her shoulder to acknowledge her companion. In truth, if the dead miko made her feel uneasy, the being looming behind her made her downright uncomfortable, but she was not about to admit to such emotions.

Naraku had assigned her a task and she would see it through till the end because he held her heart, but the last laugh would be hers as she choked the life out of his withered, beaten form.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Kouga dropped out of his lightning fast gallop that had taken him a seemingly safe distance from the object of his inner turmoil. Even with his natural youkai speed being enhanced by the jewel shards housed in his powerful legs the wolf demon had to take a moment to catch his breath from the level of exertion he had poured into his impromptu jaunt.

Even with the distance between them her rich eyes haunted his thoughts. There she was on the verge of tears as he snapped at her with a list of grievances that were all beyond her control. 'Some protector I have turned out to be. I can't even keep her safe from myself. How many people am I going to let down?'

The proud youkai prince needed to maintain control. His pack depended upon him, and he couldn't afford himself the luxury of doubt, but recent events had triggered painful memories that begged for closure.

His mind pulled up images of his parents on the day he lost them forever. His mother's jade eyes shined warmly at him as he bounded off. It was the last time he would ever see her.

Kouga shook his head in an attempt to erase the memory, or at least pause it from continuing its morbid playback. He had lived with their deaths most of his life, shouldering the brunt of responsibility from such a tender age.

Before he could block it out his mind flickered to the day he lost most of his clan at the hands of the wind witch, Kagura. It was just another failure on his part that he couldn't take back or fix no matter how intent he was on bringing them justice by killing Naraku.

His head spun from the memories, but one question rose to the surface. Why was he reliving all of this now?

A sharp chill flashed through Kouga's resting body. Without a moment's hesitation, he sped back in Kagome's direction. As he plowed through the forest, he couldn't shake the eerie feeling that something was tragically wrong.

He only hoped he wouldn't be too late again.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I realize there was no Kagome/Kouga interaction in this chapter, but there needed to be set up! Anyway, hope you all enjoyed. Please review. It means a lot to me. Thanks!

FF Reviewers: Angel6582 (Sorry for the fluff-less chapter this time around. I hope you like it anyway. And I hope you are feeling better!), Nichole Hibiki (I want to show a deeper side of Kouga, but I don't want his action to stray too far out of character in the process, and I figured there was only so much indignation he could stand before his pride got the best of him. And yes, both parents died. At least they did in my version of the world), SilverMoons BlackWings (Now you know, but if you want a better look it is right behind you!), strawberrykiwi017 (Fair enough, thanks for giving it a try and reviewing), nunofyorbiz (Does this count?), Kagome Jane (Arigato!), sakurablossomskxk (Blush I am extremely flattered, thank you), SailorKagome (Thanks so much, I love getting your reviews!), Ookami no Anubis (The process has already begun, unless you mean in the biblical sense. ahem we shall see :)), Icing Flower (Wow, and I thought I had left some long reviews. I really loved getting this one. I have actually read jeffs' fic. I hadn't really thought about it, but in a sense there are some similarities. Well, at least in the way that I forming a bond between an alternate pairing by separating them from everyone else and having them rely on each other to get back safely. And don't think I missed that little jab about how consistent he was with updates, missy:) Just kidding, he was amazing about that, and if I could be, I would be. Gomen! I love that you keep a record of quotable quotes and I'm extremely flattered that I earned a record number! As to the rest of your questions, only time will tell. And feel free to go overboard anytime!), Black-rose23 (Better late than never! Not the spider demon, the mysteries continue...), Fairia13 (Who rocks? Oh, that's right, FAIRIA13! Has everyone been reading her work? NO! Go do it now! Enjoy! And Fair, thanks for all your help and support and feedback on this story!), InuYashaFan28 (I understandno reason to apologizeI thank you for your review), Otaku Mom (I saw your e-mail on Amy's listserv, and then I saw your review. You are very true to your word! I'm glad you see a glimmer of hope for this pairing), Chaos-and-Serenity (Okay, not only did you leave me a stellar review for this story, but you reviewed Death, Love, and Choices! Sooooo few people reviewed that so I was really excited to see your thoughts! Thank you, thank you, thank you!), and BelleDayNight (Yea! You managed to read the chapter. And yes, more episodes are coming!)

AFF Reviewers: CheshireAngel (I know, I am just overwhelmingly compelled to write cliffhangers. But at least I always update...eventually), Jasmine Fields (He certainly can be dense at times, but who isn't? I definitely always thought there was a lot more too him than you got to see on the surface), lost child (Thank you very much), and last but not least, Nikolyta (You are too cool, girl. Thanks for reading and reviewing!)

MM Reviewers: You all make me sad :(

Kouga's Den Readers: Feel free to e-mail me reviews at wastedthoughts (remove spaces).


	9. Regrets

Journey of the Heart: Chapter 9 - Regrets

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and his companions are not mine to own.

WARNING: Character death

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

He was young and foolish.

He was supposed to have been home almost an hour ago, but he had stopped to play a prank on his friends Ginta and Hakkaku. He knew his mother would scold him for his tardiness, but it was worth it to see the look on their faces. To say they were gullible was an understatement, and it was practically his sworn duty as wolf prince to teach them the error of their ways. So when he convinced them there was a wish-granting oracle in the fallen tree trunk when there was really a raccoon who wasn't at all amused at being disturbed, it was really more of a service to his tribe than a mean trick.

"Kouga! Kouga! Get over here right now, young wolf!" called a melodious, but slightly agitated voice.

A whirl of dust kicked up and then immediately settled back down to reveal a small boy with a lopsided grin and long unmanageable dark hair, sporting an equally annoyed countenance. "I'm right here, Mom. You don't have to call for me so that _everyone_ can hear."

The older female wolf demon was firm with her son, but she couldn't help the twinge of a smile that threatened to peak through at his childish attempt at sounding mature. "If you were back in the den when I told you to be I wouldn't have to embarrass you."

She dipped down to a crouching position to have better access to the unruly obsidian hair, emerging from behind her son's headband. She tucked the stray strands away as he fidgeted, trying to break free.

"Aww, Mom." He swiped his hands through his hair until it was once again wild and free just like his irrepressible spirit.

His mother swelled with a strange pride at her only child. He was his father's son, certainly. He was brash and bold and cunning, but he was also fearless and charming. She knew Kouga would one day make an excellent leader for their tribe, just as his father was currently. She only hoped his reign would be free from the incessant attacks that marred their days and nights.

The birds of paradise had been more daring recently. They had been attacking small hunting packs with various results. Generally, they were pretty evenly matched, but the birds lacked honor and their numbers were more plentiful. It was just a matter of time before there was a battle that resulted in heavy losses on both sides. And time was running out.

Scouts had reported back only moments before that a fleet of birds of paradise had been spotted traveling directly for the wolf caves. She didn't want Kouga to stay. He was too young to fight and too old to be convinced of that. She hid her anxieties behind a pleasant smile and patted his head the way she loved to do. It always drove him into a fit, but she could tell he enjoyed the attention.

"I need you to catch dinner tonight," she said holding her voice together through sheer force of will.

Kouga's large eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Really?" He had never been sent out to find dinner on his own before, and he practically fell over from the new size of his head. "Can I bring back fish?"

A genuine smile replaced the artificial one she had crafted to hide her concern. Her boy loved dining upon fish almost as much as his father hated to eat it. Her mate had once even forbidden it from crossing their palettes again, but every so often he would come home to a serving of fish. She always claimed she had just forgotten how much he hated to eat it instead of revealing that it was the request of their son. It was one of the special secrets that she kept for him. Typically, she only served it on special occasions of Kouga's, but tonight she didn't have the heart to refuse his pleading crystal blue eyes.

And after all, if he survived the night it would be a special occasion.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

He was old and foolish.

At least he felt old and helpless staring at her limp body. He knew he was a fool. He should never have left her side. They knew next to nothing about the world they were in except that it could be dangerous, and they were there because of Naraku.

Kouga's feet had pounded the earth mercilessly from the very moment he felt Kagome might be in trouble. He didn't notice the unnatural absence of a dust cloud in his wake nor the way the scenery blurred into an unrecognizable haze of landscape as he sped back to his previous location.

Upon arriving, he saw no one, including the woman he cared about above all others. However, the torn up landscape was a clear indication of a recent battle. As he readied himself for another jaunt to seek her out his keen sense of smell detected what his eyes had missed--blood.

The metallic twang of the scent sent bile racing from his stomach into the back of his mouth. The smell was unmistakable. It was Kagome's blood. Wasting no time, he raced to the source and discovered Kagome wrapped unceremoniously around the trunk of a large tree.

The normally vivacious girl looked pale and broken. Her naturally rosy cheeks were sallow, and her typically sparkling eyes were sealed shut behind unwavering lids.

Kouga knelt by her unmoving form. He released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding when he detected she was still alive--even if she was not conscious.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

It wasn't moving.

If there were fish swimming around in the stream then they weren't causing any ripples because the water was as still as it could be. At least as still as it could be considering the three wolf demons carefully surveying its surface by standing waist-deep in the wet expanse.

Kouga had been only slightly upset when his mother instructed him to take Ginta and Hakkaku along on his quest for the night's meal. As much as he teased and harassed the awkward pair of wolf demons he also secretly enjoyed having them around. They were naive, but no one could ask for more devote loyalty.

"Hey, I caught one!" Ginta called out as a large mouthed fish wiggled between his clawed fingers. The young wolf youkai was so excited at being the first one successful in obtaining their scaly prey that he paid too much attention to showing off and too little to keeping a good grip on the squirming body.

As it flopped back into the water and vigorously swam away from its would-be captors all Hakkaku could do was laugh.

"Come on, stop messing around! We've already been out here forever. Concentrate!" demanded the young prince as his watchful eyes skimmed the surface of the stream, searching for a likely target.

Muttering under his breath, Ginta pouted. "Not like you've caught one yet."

On a normal day of helping his father track down game Kouga was very skilled at the hunt, but today he felt a great deal of pressure to do well, and it was making his fishing technique sloppy.

Seeing something enormous idly swim by his legs, Kouga immediately plunged his small but strong arm into the crisp water. Clasping his fingers around what seemed to be an unusually long fish, he withdrew it from the stream only to discover it was not a fish at all.

His little hand was firmly holding a very angry looking sea snake youkai by the tail.

The snake's head darted at Kouga. Its fangs were bared and it was aiming for a kill, but the young prince managed to avoid its strike just in time even though standing hip deep in water was significantly impeding his normally swift movements.

"Let go!" Ginta and Hakkaku both cried out in unison.

Kouga dodged another near fatal attack before realizing he was still dumbly gripping the snake's tail. Instead of letting go, it gave him an idea.

As the snake launched at him a third time Kouga dropped low into the water causing the incensed predator to pass directly over his head very quickly. Then as the confused snake continued hurling away, Kouga planted his feet as firmly as he could to the rock bed of the stream and swung his arms forcefully and released the tail. Using the snake's own momentum he managed to send him flying off the bank and straight into a boulder. The last part was more of a happy accident than anything, but Kouga would never admit that when relating the tale for years to come.

The scaly demon was motionless for a moment before stirring. It shook its bruised head and turned back to see the blur of a pack of wolf demons. At least, the snake believed it was a pack with the sudden onset of double-vision. Wanting no more to do with wolf demons, blurry or otherwise, it slithered back into the stream and zoomed away.

"You did it!" Hakkaku exclaimed while jumping up and down.

"That was amazing!" Ginta enthusiastically agreed.

Kouga's arms and legs burned with the strain of having expended so much energy and power. His heart was throbbing wildly inside his chest from all the adrenaline still coursing through him, and his lungs struggled to regain a normal breathing pattern. "Oh that? It was nothing."

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Nothing.

She seemed like she should be responding to his coaxing, but her normally blazing cinnamon eyes were still hidden from view. For the time being it seemed there was nothing he could do.

He felt powerless.

He knew enough about humans and the treatment of injuries to know it was not wise to move her, but he couldn't help but cradle her head on his lap as he stroked her hair. Small strands clung to her delicate cheek stubbornly as his fingers carefully arranged them behind her ears.

There were no visible major wounds. There was blood on her palms and her right knee from scrapes, but they had stopped flowing and appeared worse than they actually were. Her cheek was scratched, but not seriously. The most evident injury was on her ankle which had swollen significantly and taken on a bruised appearance, sporting a variety of colors.

He wanted to wash away the blood and dirt from her normally flawless skin, but that would require water at the very least, and he was not about to leave her sight again. The minor injuries were clotted and no longer a concern, so he only continued to watch the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest that ensured her continued life.

It wasn't the wounds he could see that bothered him so much. They could all be treated once they were able to move to a nearby spring and she would be no worse for wear. But with her still unconscious he had no way of knowing what was happening inside her body. He had heard of humans bleeding on the inside until they died.

His breath froze in his throat. He couldn't watch Kagome die in his arms. No one should watch a woman they love die, and they definitely shouldn't have to do it twice.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

The gathered fish fell and scattered upon the dry, cracked earth.

Kouga's large sapphire eyes soaked in the death and devastation laid out before them. Dark crimson wolf blood was splattered upon torn gray feathers. Youkai bodies were mangled and strewn about the normally peaceful and beautiful landscape in tattered heaps.

The acrid scent of blood attacked his senses and overwhelmed him. Kouga found himself doubled-over, releasing the contents of his stomach onto a fallen tree which had obviously been slashed down in the midst of battle.

After the run in with the sea snake youkai Kouga felt invincible. He caught fish with a renewed vigor, and it wasn't long before they had collected a bundle large enough to feed several members of the pack--not just his own family. He had marched back with a huge grin, spreading ear to ear, but as they grew closer to the wolf caves it was obvious something was terribly amiss.

Now, his suspicions were horrifyingly confirmed. No one was still standing in the open lands below the caves.

The three youths staggered through the killing field in silence, taking a mental toll of who they saw lying cold and still. Their mentors were all here. The brave warriors they looked up to and adored for their skills and heroism were bloodied, beaten, and broken.

Another wave of sickness rose up in Kouga's throat as one body in particular came into view, but he suppressed the urge to relieve it this time. His short legs, wrapped in furs, only pulled him inevitably closer to the dead wolf demon a few paces away.

Kouga's entire body shook uncontrollably as he stood over the remains of the man who used to be his father and the leader of the wolf tribe. Tears stung the back of his eyelids, but he refused to cry. His father never cried, and he was determined not to show weakness in front of him now--even if the eyes staring back at him were hollow and void of the lust for life they used to possess.

A hand on his shoulder reminded him there was more to see, and the three friends continued toward the dens.

The piercing eyes of a decapitated bird of paradise seemed to watch them as they journeyed forward. Its enormous fang filled mouth was curled into a knowing smirk. Kouga felt like it was mocking him. It was too much for the young prince to bear quietly.

Suddenly breaking the sullen, melancholy pace he had been keeping, he furiously attacked the dead enemy. His fits flew against the severed head. It sent a cloud of feathers into the surrounding area, choking his throat and stinging his eyes in the process. In a final effort he grabbed a broken tooth that had been knocked loose at some point while it was still alive and jabbed it into the bird's taunting eye.

Kouga's arms dripped with a slightly violet colored blood, but he didn't care. His futile actions had somehow put the anger of his father's death on hold. In its place a torrent of concern washed over him.

He sprinted to the dens, desperately searching for his mother. Ginta and Hakkaku were close behind him, but he wasn't paying attention. His thoughts were consumed by the overpowering need to find his mother as quickly as he could. It was as if he instinctively knew he was almost too late.

He skirted through the remaining members of the pack. Those in the best condition were treating and comforting those on the brink of death. One such patient was lying in dim lighting at the far corner of the cave in a private den. It was the space reserved for the pack leader and his family.

One of the older tribal women was holding her fragile looking hand as Kouga approached. Her sympathetic eyes told him everything he needed to know--he was about to lose his mother too.

"Kou...ga," she said in a shaky voice. She strained herself to open her heavy eyelids, revealing brilliant emerald eyes. Her long, silky raven hair spread out around her like a halo as she lay on a soft bed of furs. A thick blanket mercifully covered her body, hiding the worst of her wounds from sight.

"Did you...catch a...fish?" she asked, pausing for the occasional gasp of air.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to go back out and kill every bird of paradise he found. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her and how much he needed her to stay. He wanted to save her. But he couldn't, so he tucked her weak hand into his small palm and held it tightly. "I caught lots of fish, Mom." His words wavered only slightly as he spoke.

"I...knew you...would. You...will make...a fine lea...der just...like...your..."

The last word never came as her eyelids slipped closed for the last time. The tears he hid from his father soaked into her blanket as he buried his face against her neck. He was sure she would never tell. It was the kind of secret mothers kept for their sons.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Kouga's face was nestled against the top of Kagome's head as he continued to hold the unconscious girl. He had been unable to escape the haunting memories plaguing him. Once again, he had been away when someone he loved needed him. He was so engrossed in feelings of regret and guilt that he almost missed the small sound that escaped from the girl in his arms.

Craning his neck to gaze upon her face, he watched as her eyes began to twitch beneath the closed lids until slowly the lashes separated, exposing hazy, dark eyes. Blinking a few times, the sparkle rejuvenated within her.

"Kouga?" she said with a slightly hoarse undertone.

He knew he should be gentle with her, but all rational thought had been sent spiraling away as she spoke his name again. He pulled her tightly against his chest and crushed his lips to hers.

At first, her eyes opened wide with surprise, but as his warm lips massaged her lips; her rational thoughts flew off to join his far, far away.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Kouga had very little face time in the last chapter, but I made up for it this time around!

FF Reviewers: Chaos-and-Serenity (So many questions, so little time to write chapters...but I will get there slowly but surely. Thanks for reading!), Nichole Hibiki (I think Kouga is probably feeling pretty open right now), VangieGirl (I'm glad I inspired procrastination in others! Fluff on its way), Imagenation Queen (No, I don't think he likes that he did that either), nunofyorbiz (She is already dead!), ahanchan (Arigato!), Nikolyta (There will be more on the Inuyasha troop soon. Kouga just needed a big spotlight this time), southstar (Thanks, you are cool for reviewing!), SquirrelLou (I'm slow, but determined! Updates will keep coming!), SailorKagome (Still not much interaction, but lots of Kouga at least!), Iridescent Twilight (I love your penname. She needs to be with Kouga every so often I think. Though I'm endeavoring to write a sympathetic Inuyasha just so everyone can feel all angsty and conflicted over it. Why do I do that?), Angel6582 (I'll send some fluffiness your way next chapter. This was more the tear-jerker chapter), BlackRose725503 (I'll make sure to let the current #1 know about her reassignment. :)), Gloomy Goddess (High praise, indeed. Thanks for your kind words), BelleDayNight (blush favorite? me? Seriously, thanks for reading this over and giving me your thoughts. I was frantic to get some initial feedback!)

AFF Reviewers: Fairia13 (You probably won't be able to read this for a while, but thanks for all your help with this story so far. I hope you enjoyed this chapter even though it missed the benefit of your assistance), Gem (If you liked Kouga's depth then this chapter was for you! And ahem you may have figured something important out there. Shhhhh), Kari (aww, I know it is weird to be excited about making someone cry, but I love that it was touching for some readers at least. And anything that can make someone laugh can't be all bad. Thanks!)

MM Reviewers: Twilight Myst (Yea! Someone from MediaMiner reviewed! Seriously though, thanks that means a lot)

Kouga's Den Readers: Feel free to e-mail me reviews at wastedthoughts (remove spaces).


	10. Resistance

Journey of the Heart: Chapter 10 - Resistance

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and his companions are not mine to own.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

"Kouga..." she moaned as their swollen lips parted long enough to draw a much needed breath.

No further words were spoken as tender flesh reconnected. They had separated for air, but being apart hurt more than the slight burning their lungs experienced in the meantime.

Kouga's desperation came from the fear of losing another person he cared about and had sworn to protect. But the way Kagome's weakened arms struggled to maintain a tight grip on the wolf prince's strong, broad shoulders stemmed from a fear of losing herself.

In the midst of battle with the strange centipede-esque monster she thought she was living a nightmare, but when her mind slipped from the harsh, bright reality of consciousness into the foggy mire of the dreamscape the real terror began.

She found herself struggling for every tortured thought, every continued beat of her heart, and every twitch of her atrophying muscles. Everything was sticky, hot, and decaying. Liquid death burned her lungs and gagged her raw throat as she wrought a futile battle for oxygen.

She was alive and dying. Her limbs felt heavy and immobile as though they were no longer really attached to her. Unrelenting aches and pains had been prolonged so long she could no longer feel the sharp sting of the poison coating her prone form.

Kagome began to feel detached from her suffering body. It was as if she were floating above her physical form, aware of the peril and yet unable to do anything to save herself. Only a thin pink veil of energy surrounding her body stood in testament of her fight to stave off the corrosive environment.

Instinctively, she was driven to find a way to put her conscious back into her body, but before she was able to conceive of a way of doing just that, an oppressive somber haze invaded her weary mind and sapped away at her will. Her mind began to feel nothingness as numbness gripped her.

The manipulative siren's song of peace called to her and she began to think she could just rest for a bit, here, in this cradle of death. She could relax her strained and stressed body without worrying about seeking the jewel shards, or defeating Naraku, or understanding her heart's conflicted yearnings, or finding her way home.

Kagome allowed her focus to wane. She began to recede into the deep sleep that summoned her in quiet, coaxing whispers. As she slipped toward release, she became vaguely aware that the shield of holy energy that had been slowing the deterioration of her physical body was becoming thin and unstable. But she was too far gone to register the significance. She simply drifted further and further from the cruel reality no young student from the modern era should have had to bear.

Almost as if to say goodbye, she reached out with her mind one more time to view the unforgiving world she was departing. That is when she noticed she wasn't alone. There, lying next to her depleted body was a certain wolf youkai.

The debilitated Kouga was resting on his side with one limp arm draped over her torso in a protective fashion. Some long strands of midnight colored hair had worked themselves free from the bonds of his ponytail and swum across his ghastly white bleached face. His normally solid, muscular form seemed slightly reduced, and his blue eyes that sparkled like a waterfall in the midday sun were sealed from view.

His body was so still and fragile looking. It was not at all how she thought of him. He was always so vigorous and full of energy and attitude. And there he was, locked in the same hopeless grip as her.

Only he couldn't see himself as he was, so he couldn't do anything to fight it. He was still dreaming life instead of living the nightmare.

Kagome's senses became outraged. She was furious that he had been captured while protecting her and was now prostrated and drained for his troubles. But she was even angrier at herself for coming so close to giving up especially because now she saw it meant letting Kouga down.

And not just Kouga--there were so many people depending on him. His pack would be vulnerable without his leadership. Ginta and Hakkaku would be lost without his friendship. She would...

She wasn't sure what she would do without him, and she was not about to find out!

A fire of determination blazed within her heart. Suddenly, her journey to the silent, tranquility of oblivion was not welcoming. She grasped desperately for something to hold onto, but her fingers were stiff and no longer within her control. The momentum had sucked her consciousness into its wake, and she felt herself spiraling away from the last vestiges of familiarity and into the cold, dark abyss she had so recently sought to embrace.

She fought valiantly, but it wasn't enough. The void was growing closer, and there was so much left to do and say. She would never tell Sango she was the sister she always wanted. She would never find a way to show Shippo her future world full of playgrounds and sweets. She would never see Miroku's relieved face the day Naraku was defeated, and his curse was ended. She would never explain to her family how much she missed them when she was adventuring in the feudal era. She would never know if she and Inuyasha could be friends again after their last fight.

But most of all, she would never see Kouga's lopsided smirk or feel the warmth of his hands as he grasped hers or hear the way his smooth, deep voice referred to her as 'my woman' again.

'KOUGA!' her mind screamed out over and over for him. And just when she thought the battle was lost and the darkness was going to swallow her, something pulled her the other way. Somehow, their connection had been the support she needed to escape the dreamscape and find her way back into the other world--Kouga's lips on her lips, was proof of that.

She knew she should put a stop to the newfound intimacy. She needed to tell him what she had just discovered while unconscious. It had been more than a simple dream. But maybe it could wait just a few more minutes...

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

"We are lost." Sango stated matter-of-factly after passing what she was sure was the same indiscernible boulder for the third time.

"How can we be lost? We don't even know where we are going," Miroku replied in his calm Buddhist fashion. He was rewarded with a withering glance from the frustrated tajiya.

She kept her oversized boomerang to herself even though she was tempted to wield it upside his grinning face.

Still, Sango realized his comment was only his subtle way of trying to infuse humor into an extremely tense situation. The group had been traveling for well over an hour while seemingly getting nowhere. They were already stressed over Kagome's abduction, and having Kikyo around was not helping to lighten the mood.

The dead miko had not spoken since their journey through the bowels of the earth had begun. She simply stared forward with the same emotionless stare that was such a familiar presence upon her delicate features. Inuyasha had likewise been silent, but his expressions had spoken volumes.

He was still struggling with the loss of Kagome, but now he was also confronted by the reminder of another important person he lost to Naraku's sinister plans.

Breaking the shell of tension that had once again hardened over the group, Sango spoke again. "Perhaps this place is a decoy, and Naraku is not here after all."

Before anyone else had a chance to respond a crisp voice chillingly echoed down the narrow passage some distance ahead of them. "Oh, you are in the right place, tajiya, but I think you'll find it is the wrong time for you."

"KAGURA!" Inuyasha roared in recognition of her mocking tone. His amber eyes burned with indescribable rage. He had allowed another foul detachment to get the drop on them. His body shook with all the tension and regret and self-directed anger of the past few days. He unsheathed Tetsusaiga and charged ahead without another word. None were needed. The condemned had already spoken, and it was time to pass sentence.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

"What do you mean she sensed you?" Naraku's voice was level and smooth, but the threat that intertwined his silken words was evident to all.

The spider creature was several times the size of the dark haired man in black and purple robes, but she still shuddered involuntarily from intimidation. Expending all available effort, she attempted to explain the situation and hoped she would not find herself reabsorbed anytime soon.

"When she believed she lost consciousness in the astral plane her physical senses awoke, just barely, but it was enough. She saw herself and the wolf too. It happened once before when she was 'dreaming,' but I was able to reassert control then, and I almost had this time when she fought me."

Her five remaining giant legs twitched nervously as she debated whether or not to explain the next portion of the story. "I took more dramatic means and attempted to seal her mind away completely to keep her from discovering and alerting the other one. I had her within my sway, but just before it was complete, she managed to free herself." Hesitating, she added, "With her mind back in the astral plane I can't affect it directly, which is why I sent my puppets to herd them in the first place."

"Usually my victim's memories fade upon returning to the astral plane even if they have managed to awaken in their bodies for some reason, but..." she paused.

"I do not appreciate unnecessary suspense," he said curtly.

"Instead of growing steadily weaker and more confused, having her consciousness separated from her body seems to have liberated her miko abilities." Sighing unpleasantly, the spider demon finished and braced herself for whatever response she earned from the irritated hanyou. "She might remember what she saw."

No words fell from Naraku's pursed lips, but his silence was nearly deafening. It was clear the dark lord was not pleased. "Kanna."

"Yes, my lord?" her young, hollow voice responded automatically.

"Show me," his words were vague, but the small, albino girl knew exactly what he meant. Her tiny hand lifted the heavy, ornate mirror for Naraku to view. Instead of reflecting his image back to him, he was able to see the young miko curled into a ball and tucked within the arms of the wolf prince.

He relaxed considerably, but showed no outward signs of this. He wanted the spider on her toes, or legs as the case were--all of them. Kikyo's reincarnation was turning out to be a more formidable opponent than he had initially anticipated. However, it seemed the arrogant prince was doing his best to keep her distracted, even though he had no idea how well he was playing into Naraku's plans.

"Report to me if there are any further changes," he commanded as he regally swept out of the dingy room. The spider began to emit signs of relief until he stilled at the door. His dark eyes stared unblinkingly forward, but the spider detachment knew his serious remarks were meant for her.

"Her life is not the expendable one in this equation. You will not attempt to seal her mind again, nor will you allow her to gain access to any knowledge she does not already possess. I need her intact and unaware to fulfill my plans." His head tipped forward just slightly, sending a few strands of charcoal hair to shadow his piercing gaze. "I will not be disappointed again."

The spider's red-rimmed violet eyes opened wide as she watched him exit the room. She knew she had just heard her death sentence, and all there was left to do was wait.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Kouga's lips continued to massage hers in gentle, but persistent strokes. Sometimes he would graze over her with a feather light touch that sent tingles through her nervous system, and then he would press firmly and cause her whole body to feel hot and her head to spin uncontrollably.

His tongue slipped within her moist cavern as she sighed contentedly in response to the gentle caressing his hands were conducting over her aching muscles. His touch was so soft and understanding. He pulled his long digits through her long, silky hair and then allowed his fingertips to slide down the back of her neck. Her body melted into his caress.

It felt so good to be touched, to be held, to be kissed: she felt wonderfully alive.

'Alive!' The memory flooded back to her like a gunshot going off in her mind. It overflowed her senses and shook her from the blissful contentedness.

"We're dying!" she shouted as she pushed away from the cocoon he had formed for her with his body.

Needless to say, Kouga was confused. "Kagome?"

She tried to get to her feet, but her injured ankle swelled with violent pangs of pain, and she found herself crashing back into his strong arms. "We have to get out of here," she choked out between yelps of discomfort.

"Kagome, what's wrong?"

She swung her head around, seeing only trees and rocks and more useless landscape. "I saw us. We were dying. We have to find us again and save us!" Her thoughts streamed from her without any filtering, and Kouga was truly dumbfounded by the incoherent explanation.

Kagome's eyes landed upon the weak aura she had earlier sensed streaming from the spiraling mountain in the distance. Pointing in its direction, she turned her attention to the flustered wolf demon. "We have to get there."

Sad, blue eyes studied her, and he did not move.

"Hurry! Get up and do that running in a whirlwind thing that you do. We might not have much time left!"

She stopped when she saw his head was bent low, shadowing his eyes from sight. His solemn stance quieted her stream of consciousness commands and statements. "Kouga?"

"I failed you." Somehow the sound of his heart breaking could be detected in the cadence of his simple words.

"Kouga," she repeated in a cracking voice, and she was scant sure the word had stumbled its way into even his sensitive hearing range.

"NO, I failed." Apparently it had.

"I wasn't here when you needed me. Something terrible obviously happened to you, and then when you needed my support the most I...I..."

He deliberately positioned her so that she was sitting on her own without touching him further. "I had no right to..." his fist shook as he tried to finish the statement, but instead he ended with a resolute, "I had no right."

He couldn't bring himself to say it--to say he had no right to touch her--to kiss her. She was the woman he loved, the woman he wished to mate and to have standing by his side forever, and now she was the woman he had failed like so many others.

At the first sign of trouble he had gotten upset and left her side. She was abandoned in an unfamiliar world that was known to have hostile potential and still he left. He returned only to find her with a broken body and a confused mind and proceeded to assert himself over her physically. He had never been more disappointed in himself. Even the day he found his tribe scattered and dead upon the cold, hard ground after his triumphant fishing exploits paled in comparison.

There was no excuse for taking refuge in her sweet warmth. He did not deserve forgiveness or compassion. Kouga stood and peered down at her with determined eyes, clouded by self-judgment. "I will find a way to free you from this place. And once I do, I won't trouble you with my presence again."

Before she could react with more than the stunned expression she wore, he scooped her up and took off in the direction she had been pointing.

The wind resistance at the speed he traveled made it impossible for her to speak, but she was still in too much shock to try anyway. Her body decided, instead, that it needed more rest. And even though she fought it, she found herself slipping back to sleep.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter took soooooooooooooooo long. And I don't mean that it took me a long time to start it. I just couldn't seem to write it. There was much struggling, so please be kind and review. I apologize for the long wait.

Cross selling time! Please go check out _X Marks the Spot_. It is a Rurouni Kenshin fic. Technically it is a sequel to _Crossing the Line_, but I am writing in such a way that you can start either place. It will feature a pairing between Kenshin and Shura as well as plenty of other characters. And please review!

Also, I have recently fallen in love with the anime Kyou Kara Maou. If you have the means, check it out!

FF Reviewers: quirkyslayer (Thank you so much. Sorry you had such a long wait), Chaos-and-Serenity (aww...hands you a tissue), Angel6582 (Tissues all around then! This may sound extremely lame, but I actually made myself cry when writing it.), BelleDayNight (Shucks! Thanks for your help with this chapter!), nunofyorbiz (In a good way I hope), Iridescent Twilight (If you liked the kissing you probably liked this chapter!), Britney (Kagome lives!), VangieGirl (Some action, not a lot of fluff yet...but around the corner no doubt), Kogasgirl142 (thanks!), Nichole Hibiki (the poor guy has had it rough), tori007otaku (Sorry for driving you crazy!), SailorKagome (Arigato!), Fairia13 (I hope you are back soon. I need your help with this stuff!), child of kami (He is awesome and deserves much props, I agree), Tigeris (I hope my story continues to not disappoint in quality), chi lee (I promise to finish. I'm sorry some updates take so long)

AFF Reviewers: Gem (The truth is coming out, so congrats on figuring things out so soon!), lost child (thanks!), Nikolyta (There you are! It is your fault this took so long. You and your addictively wonderful new animes! Thanks!), Kari (I bet he was a cute little kid), Jasmine Fields (Arigato!), whirlee Q (We've discussed, but yes, I love me some Buffy. I even just finished reading Fray, a comic book by Joss Whedon), DreamBeamz (there is!)

MM Reviewers: zelarasha08 (I'm glad you liked it!), Twilight Myst (You held off the tears better than I, but perhaps as the author I shouldn't say such)

Kouga's Den Readers: ThunderShootingstar#7 (Yes, you may be my only Kouga's Den Reviewer, but one is better than none. Thanks for the e-mail!)

Feel free to e-mail me reviews at wastedthoughts (remove spaces).


	11. Gathering

Journey of the Heart: Chapter 11 - Gathering

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and his companions are not mine to own.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

The fang made a whistling screech as it cut through the air toward the wind witch.

Kagura remained perfectly still as the enraged hanyou attacked her with the Tetsusaiga. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she watched the passionately futile action with bemusement. She had no reason to dodge or block the attack as Inuyasha soon realized.

"Keh! What the hell?" he growled out when his sword struck the air in front of her as though it were solid rock and not a thin vapor.

"That is just one of the talents my friend possesses. I'm sure you'll see a couple of the other ones before you die." Kagura turned her body slightly to watch as a monstrous form approached through the thick blackness of the passageway and into the dim light.

Shippo couldn't control the gasp that escaped his lips at the sight. The others made no outward signs of reaction, but Sango felt certain she wasn't the only one who had a trace of bile rise in the back of her throat at the appearance and strong olfactory odor of their new opponent.

To say it was hideous would have been an understatement. It was obviously an unnatural conglomeration of beasts spawned from Naraku, but it most closely resembled a serpent of some sort. But instead of a normal set of fangs, it had a huge mouth that took up most of its face, filled with sharply jagged teeth. Set high upon its gruesome head were three luminous yellow eyes. Bone spikes ran along the sides of its neck, ending in an armored tale. Despite its snake-like resemblance it did possess six stubby, clawed legs which mauled the earthen floor mercilessly as it shifted.

Breaking the silence, Kagura stretched out her arms to point in the general direction of the firmly set faces of the gathered warriors. "Fools who are about to be slaughtered," she began before switching her pose to point at the serpent, "this is your death." Then speaking directly to her companion, "Death, fools for the slaughtering.

"Now that I've done my part to introduce all of you, I'll be leaving. There are important things to attend to with the miko in our excellent care. I'm sure you understand." Kagura tilted her head cockily as she spoke. She had thrown the last taunt in just to ensure a good performance from the hanyou.

It seemed to work as another wave of energy poured toward the youkai who could control the very wind itself. She never even bothered to turn around, knowing the creature had reflected the attack.

The serpent was under strict orders to occupy their attentions and weaken them without killing them. But Kagura doubted his capacity for self-restraint. When she looked into his cold, unfeeling eyes all she could see was power and death. So, it couldn't hurt to give Inuyasha an extra boost for the fight. After all, she might need him to kill Naraku soon enough.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Nearby, Rin marveled at Sesshoumaru's impressive ability to be completely focused on something while maintaining an utterly disinterested countenance. Granted, her actual thought was something more along the lines of, 'Wow, he hasn't moved since lunch.'

The youkai lord stood perfectly still as his sharp, gold eyes stared at some point in the distance. His long silver mane washed over his broad shoulders and white silken robes majestically.

The unlikely group, consisting of a toad youkai, a young human girl, and a two-headed something-or-other, waited patiently for their master as he silently processed whatever it was he was sensing. It was not an uncommon occurrence for their travels to be stopped in this manner. Sesshoumaru rarely gave hints as to what was in store. He rarely spoke at all. This was in sharp contrast to...

"Lord Sesshomaru, I made you a hat. Do you like it? I used all your favorite flowers. Well, I don't really know what your favorite flowers are because you never talk about such things, but I used the ones I thought you would like the best if you did have favorites."

"Quiet, Whelp! Can't you see our lord has better things to do than listen to your incessant prattling!" Jaken reprimanded her harshly, earning him an indignant narrowing of the eyes from Rin as she tried out her best Sesshoumaru impression.

"Sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru, you know how troublesome humans can be when they need attention. They just can't stop themselves from saying inane, useless things better left unsaid."

Sesshoumaru had stopped listening to the small green youkai who was still rattling off all the reasons humans ran off at the mouth. His attention was directed to the vibrant, young girl at his side instead.

She held up a ring of flowers she had bound together to form a makeshift crown. It was not her first such creation nor was it likely to be her last. The Lord of the Western Lands made no effort to accept her gift, but he did mentally note that her craftsmanship had greatly improved.

"Come," he said simply as he abandoned his stoic contemplation and began to walk without checking to assure himself the others were following suit. Normally, he would not have spoken at all, but he was feeling particularly generous.

He returned his concentration to the mass of energy exuding from a nearby mountain. The combination was complex, but he was able to distinguish two unique patterns: the vile hanyou, Naraku, and the peculiar miko who travels with his brother. Clearly, Inuyasha would not be far behind. Such levels of power were hazardous, and he would not see his lands obliterated by the blundering actions of his half-brother.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

'So, this is going well,' Kagome thought to herself with an irritated sigh as she pulled the bangs that had fallen into her face out of the way for what seemed like the hundredth time. She had been riding the Kouga Express to No-wheres-ville for hours, and the fact that she had just had the most passionate kiss of her life followed up by a cold shoulder was not helping to settle her nerves.

"Kouga," she said as loudly as she could to push past the wind resistance. His pace did not slow.

Kagome raised an eyebrow in annoyance. 'I know he can hear me. I've learned a few things about demon hearing being around Inuyasha so long. Mostly, that it is super sensitive when I'm trying to keep secrets and completely oblivious when I want their attention.'

"KOUGA!" she tried again, this time sending an elbow hard against his ribs to punctuate her summons. That seemed to get the desired result.

"Kagome, what is it?" he asked while allowing her to stand freely, careful to avoid rubbing his now sore side in front of her. "Do you sense something?"

Crossing her arms defiantly, she snapped her head forward while speaking. "Yes, I sense that you are trying to avoid me."

That left the wolf demon momentarily speechless. "What are you talking about? I haven't left your side since..." he trailed off, not wanting to think about earlier. "We've been together. How could I be avoiding you?" he asked lamely.

"Kouga, I know you think my getting hurt was somehow your fault, but it wasn't."

"We don't have time to discuss this. You wanted to get to that mountain top, and no matter how fast I run it never seems to get any closer," he replied emotionlessly.

"Don't shut me out!" Kagome stamped her foot into the ground to reinforce her point and succeeded in sending a wave of pain through her recently injured body. The flash of discomfort did not go unnoticed by her dark-haired companion.

"It WAS my fault! I said I would protect you, and instead, I let you get mauled by some beast in my absence."

"Kouga..." she tried to protest, but his selective hearing would have no part of it.

"NO! Don't you understand? You could have been killed like all the others--like my pack--like my parents!"

This time it was Kagome's turn to be speechless. Her mouth fell open slightly as her eyes grew wider. She knew about his pack being slaughtered by Kagura, but she had no idea his parents were killed at some point as well.

"It is safer for you if you don't depend on me," he finished remorsefully as he turned away.

Silence hung heavily in the space between them. Kouga gathered his thoughts and tried to pull himself away from the dark emotions that threatened to consume him. Kagome's hand tightened into a fist as she whispered in a low voice, "Baka."

Kouga's brow creased in confusion over the barely audible word. Blue eyes shifted to gaze upon the angry girl.

"BAKA!" she shouted when she knew she had his undivided attention. "Bad things happen, and everyone makes mistakes. But you can't let that stop you from moving on with your life.

"People depend on you whether you like it or not. We are here together, and we have to depend on each other if we want to get back out. And if you want to have nothing to do with me after that," her voice wavered just slightly at those words, "then so be it, but remember whose choice that was!"

A stunned expression settled into a softer, almost amused look. "You aren't crazy, are you? Feisty, but not crazy."

She stared blankly at him before she found words with which to express her puzzlement. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"After you started rambling about us being trapped and dying, I thought maybe the fight had caused some kind of damage to you."

"And now?"

"Now, I just think you were always damaged," he couldn't fight back the smile that slipped upon his parted lips. He could almost see steam rising from her head as she prepared to explode.

"Why, you!" She squinted her eyes together tightly and shouted, "SIT!" Kagome bit her bottom lip as soon as the word traveled from her lips. A sheepish look crossed her face as she unwillingly waited for his reaction.

The command had the opposite of the desired effect as Kouga began laughing so hard he doubled over. Kagome glared at him dangerously for a moment, but as she saw the careless mirth float back onto his structured features she found her anger had elapsed, and she also began laughing.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Sango watched in disbelief as Inuyasha's Kaza no Kizu raged through the tight space toward the mysterious serpent demon. Light and energy ricocheted off the crumbling stone walls and in some cases came bouncing back at dangerous angles.

Sango held her boomerang high to prevent a stray blast from searing Shippo into jerky. As much as he enjoyed that particular snack from Kagome's time, it was unlikely he wanted to become it.

"Inuyasha, we should discuss a strategy instead of going off half-cocked and getting us all injured or worse," Miroku called out, always the voice of reason.

"I'm fully cocked, Monk!" he retorted angrily as he prepared for another attack.

"If we weren't in such a perilous situation I would laugh at that," Miroku said dryly, earning a rare smile from Sango.

"He seems to spend much of his time performing the same attack regardless of its ineffectiveness," Kikyo stated in an emotionless voice that reminded the rest of the group she was among them.

It took them all somewhat by surprise because she had been so quiet up until now. And although none of them wished to admit it, with her appearance it was easy to forget Kagome was not at their side as she always had been.

Not that Kagome ever stayed silent that long. Even in her sleep she was usually scolding Inuyasha for something foolish he had done the day before. Once she even managed to "sit" him which was decidedly unpleasant when you consider he spent the nights on high tree branches.

"It does feel a bit like deja vu watching him do this again," Miroku observed impartially.

In the close quarters, the fight was limited to direct assaults back and forth. However, the beast seemed to be relying heavily on a defensive strategy while letting the frustrated, silver-haired hanyou wear himself out. It was only a matter of time before he became tired and left himself open to an attack. And with no room to maneuver it was going to be difficult for any of them to defend him properly, especially considering his reluctance to allow their assistance.

"Inuyasha, fall back so we can attack as a unit!" Miroku attempted to order. Unfortunately, Inuyasha seemed to suffer from the same selective hearing disorder that plagued so many of his kind when they didn't want to heed someone's advice.

"He isn't listening," Miroku stated flatly.

"At this rate he will bring the walls down around us before he defeats it," Kikyo agreed.

"Only one thing left to do then," Sango chimed in.

An unspoken alliance was formed between the three unlikely but powerful individuals. Kikyo drew her arrow, Sango readied her boomerang, and Miroku began to chant softly as they all waited for an opening to join Inuyasha's attack regardless of his permission.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

Dark eyes watched the small albino girl closely as he followed her languid footsteps through the forbidding hallway. Of everyone he interacted with, she was the mildest and most even-tempered which should have made her presence a calming factor, but instead, the young boy always felt on edge when working with her.

At least with Kagura he understood where he stood. But Kanna was an enigma he was careful to avoid whenever possible. Sadly, this was not one of those times. He had been relaxing in his small but private quarters when she had beckoned him to follow her.

A warm sensation in his back seemed to spread throughout his body when he considered refusing in the slightest way. If he continued to resist it would transition into discomfort and then into pain until he was unable to think, stand, or respond in any way.

Thus, he rarely attempted disobedience. He kept his mind vacant and uninformed, so it was impossible to piece together the puzzle of destruction he was involved in creating. Life was easier that way--easier, but never easy.

Answering the boy's unspoken question, Kanna said, "Naraku wants you to prepare for battle."

Kohaku nodded even though he was standing behind her where she could not see. "Who am I to fight?"

"His enemies," she replied simply. He had learned long ago there was no use trying to get a straight answer from the pale girl. Normally, he would not have asked the question, but he had a bad feeling that he would soon be waging battle against that girl whose face never strayed from his mind.

However unlikely it seemed, he believed he sensed her presence nearby. Something inside him was always warm and happy when she was near, but that feeling always turned sharply into an oppressive, dark weight that settled upon his restless soul. There was much he couldn't remember--much he did not want to remember. He believed a great deal of that was connected to her somehow.

When he strained his memory to seek the answers to who she was and how he knew her, terrible, haunting images would always beset him, and eventually, he would give up. The pain it caused would leave him curled up and whimpering at times. It was much easier to simply allow the memory to remain forgotten.

Whatever joy was connected to that woman had obviously transitioned into pain and loss long ago. And yet, the thought of meeting her in combat was decidedly unappealing to the youth.

**-ooo-oooooo-ooo-**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I think I always start the same way...sorry for the delay. I should have that carved into my tombstone as I anime my way into an early grave. That's right; I used anime as a verb. Here is another verb for you; review! (Please.)

Okay, now everyone familiar with Ayashi no Ceres and/or Kyou Kara Maou please go check out my fics for those anime. They aren't very big fandoms, and sniffle I'm getting very little response over them!

**I just started a joint fic with the fabulous and very talented BelleDayNight called _The Hunt for the Perfect Man_. This is all new and different for me because not only is it AU and has no angst, but it is also a cannon pairing! Weird, but wonderful. Go read and review!**


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